The Twins
by NVSB32
Summary: Keesha looked at the new girl in class and smiled, unaware she just met her best friend.
1. The Frizzle Year

It looked like the start of a normal day for Keesha as she looked around her third grade classroom, waiting for Miss Frizzle to come in. Dorothy Ann was trying to read ahead of what the class was currently covering while ignoring Carlos's attempts to distract her. Ralphie and Wanda were simultaneously discussing some sort of sporting event from last night and how to mess with Arnold at recess. Arnold, for his part, was praying that there wouldn't be a field trip that day, as usual. Tim was quietly drawing whatever sketch idea had come into his head that morning.

By all accounts, everything appeared to be normal, as normal as Miss Frizzle's classroom could be. However, Keesha noticed that the desk next to hers, usually empty, had a backpack hung across the back of the chair. Keesha eyed it with suspicion. She looked around. Everyone else was either sitting in their regular seats or had their stuff at their regular desks. None of the other six appeared to have noticed the trespassing object.

Keesha was about to say something when the door opened and in walked Ms. Frizzle. Behind her was a girl with a look of sheer terror on her face. She was certainly tall for her age, taller than any of the other girls in the class. Her hairstyle was unlike anything Keesha had ever seen, with the sides cascading down her face and the top kept together with a yellow band. The girl was wearing a yellow button down shirt with what appeared to be red overalls over it, but they didn't go all the way down like regular overalls. That was all topped off with loafers and yellow knee socks. It was certainly unlike any outfit Keesha had ever seen. If her eight year old self had the vocabulary yet, she would have called it vintage.

"Good morning class!" declared the ever chipper Miss Frizzle, taking Keesha out of her thought process.

"Good morning Miss Frizzle!" came the class reply.

"We have a new student joining us today. Everyone say hello to Phoebe!"

The group mumbled their hellos unenthusiastically. Keesha figured why. A new person could mean no more field trips, at least until she could be trusted.

"Phoebe, why don't you tell us a little something about yourself?" Miss Frizzle asked the new girl gently.

"Um, OK," said Phoebe, who instantly blushed. "Well, um, as Miss Frizzle said, my name is Phoebe. Um, I transferred from the school across town. My dad and I just moved a few blocks from here. Um, that's pretty much it."

"Thank you Phoebe. Please take your seat. Now it's time to explore the wonderful world of fractions!"

As the rest of the class groaned, Phoebe sat down next to Keesha, relieved the attention was no longer on her. Keesha gave her a sympathetic look and a smile before turning her attention back to the Friz's attempts to make math as exciting as science.

* * *

Phoebe tried to go back to breathing normally as she sat down. When she was up at the front of the class, she could feel her new classmates stares of apathy at best, distrust at worst. Phoebe didn't exactly have a lot of friends at her old school, but that didn't stop the empty lonely feeling she felt right now. Her new teacher seemed nice at least, if very eccentric. She was nothing like Mr. Seedplot.

Phoebe caught a glimpse of the girl sitting next to her. She was an African American girl with black hair worn up. She was wearing a purple shirt with a blue stripe across the middle. Something about this girl intrigued Phoebe. There was an obvious confidence about her, something Phoebe wished she had. The girl gave Phoebe a smile. Phoebe reflexively smiled back. Later in the day, she felt a tug from the girl. She handed Phoebe a note.

_Hi, I'm Keesha. Welcome to the class! We're all really nice, I swear. There's a reason for the looks. I'll explain later, or you'll find out soon enough. Relax. You look really nervous._

Phoebe couldn't help but grin, even as she wondered what needed explaining. _Maybe this won't be so bad. At least someone here is friendly._

* * *

It was lunchtime, and Phoebe was standing around, trying to find an inconspicuous place to sit. Before she could though, Keesha spotted her and waived. Phoebe sighed and went towards the other girl, who was sitting with the rest of the class. _Here goes nothing…_

Phoebe sat down, but before she could even say hi, the Asian girl in her new class (who had already proven to be quite loud and opinionated) opened her mouth first.

"Keesh, why did you invite the new girl to sit with us?"

"Because Wanda, if _Phoebe _is going to be in our class now, we should get to know her and let her get to know us."

"Yeah c'mon, Wanda," a dark haired Latino boy chimed in. "Give her a chance." He turned to Phoebe. "My name's Carlos by the way. How's Walkerville Elementary treating you so far?"

Another blush. "Um, OK so far, but is Miss Frizzle always like that?"

The other seven laughed. "Pheebs, you don't know the half of it yet," a larger boy in a red cap said.

"And she better not ruin it either by being a weasley wimp!" the girl called Wanda yelled, earning her glares from the rest.

Phoebe looked at the others with confusion. She turned to the boy in the cap first. "Did you just call me 'Pheebs'?" She then turned to Wanda. "And what are you talking about?"

"Sorry, it just rolled off the tongue that way," the boy replied. "Oh, and I'm Ralphie."

Phoebe smiled. "It's OK. I kind of liked it. At my old school, no one cared enough about me to give me a nickname."

That group frowned at that last comment with varying degrees of sympathy. Phoebe mentally yelled at herself for being too forward too fast and quickly changed the subject. "And Miss Frizzle? What's the big secret?"

Sitting next to Phoebe, Keesha whispered _all we can say right now is field trips_.

Phoebe giggled. "Field trips? What's so weird about that?"

A red headed boy with glasses groaned. "They're not normal field trips. They're terrible and every time we have one I wish I had stayed home that day."

"Don't listen to Arnold," a blonde girl in pigtails said. "He likes to be dramatic."

"A wimp if you ask me," Wanda interjected. "We don't need another one."

Before Phoebe could respond, the bell rang to end lunch.

* * *

The rest of the day was mostly uneventful for Phoebe. There weren't any of these field trips she kept hearing about it. She learned the names of the girl with the pigtails and the African American boy who started drawing every chance he got. Everyone, including Wanda sort of, seemed nice, even after she fell down when up to bat at recess kickball and whiffed completely. To Phoebe, it was amazing she was even invited to play at all.

Phoebe was walking home when she heard a "Wait up!" behind her. She turned around to find Keesha heading towards her.

"Hey, Keesha. You live this way too?"

"Yeah, my mom, grandma, and I live in the condo complex a few blocks from here. You?"

"Oh, um, I live on Maple Street, so I guess not far away from you."

Keesha tried her best not to frown at that. Maple Street was not considered one of the better areas of town. She quickly changed the subject. "What did you think of your first day?"

Phoebe thought a moment. "Um, it was OK. Everyone seems really nice. At my old school, not many people talked to me. They didn't seem to like me." Her face immediately turned crimson. _Too much sharing Phoebe. Way, way too much._

Keesha gave her a sad smile. "Why not?" Phoebe could only shrug in response. "I like you."

Phoebe smiled, but there was a tinge of confusion to it. "Why? We just met."

Now it was Keesha's turn to shrug. "I don't know. I just do." It was true. Something about Phoebe intrigued her, even if Keesha hadn't put her finger on it yet.

Phoebe didn't know what to say to that, so she looked around searching for a new topic. She found it looking at Keesha's backpack. "What are those letters?"

She was referring to the monogrammed initials on Keesha's backpack: KMF "Those are my initials, Keesha Marie Franklin. My mom got it for me. For some reason she thought I wouldn't know my own stuff without it being identified."

Phoebe giggled. Keesha glared at her. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just…my middle name is Marie too."

"Really?"

"Uh huh. Phoebe Marie Terese."

Keesha thought about it for a minute. "That kind of rhymes."

"I know. My parents thought it was cute." Phoebe paused a moment, then broke into a wide smile. "Maybe we were meant to meet."

Keesha gave her a skeptical look, but decided not to completely crush her spirit. "Maybe."

* * *

The next day, the class ended up literally inside Arnold, and Phoebe understood all the breathlessness about field trips. Loud and clear.

* * *

Keesha opened the door to her house and led Phoebe inside. The Franklin condo was neatly furnished and smartly decorated. The two girls went to the kitchen, where Keesha's grandmother was working on dinner.

"Hi, Keesha," started Mrs. Franklin, "and who is this you've brought?"

"This is Phoebe, Grandma. She joined our class a few weeks ago. I told you about her, remember?"

Phoebe involuntarily blushed. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Franklin."

"Nice to meet you, but please, don't be so nervous. I don't bite…usually." Mrs. Franklin winked at the last part.

"I'll keep that in mind," replied a still nervous Phoebe.

"When is Mom coming home?" asked Keesha.

Mrs. Franklin frowned. "I'm sorry honey, she called an hour ago and said she was working late tonight. She's not sure when she'll be home."

Keesha frowned herself. She turned to Phoebe, who was giving her a sympathetic look. "Want to go up to my room?"

"Sure."

The two girls headed upstairs to Keesha's room. Phoebe sat on the bed as Keesha closed the door. They looked at each other, not sure what to say. Finally, Keesha sighed and opened her mouth.

"My mom is a banker. She works a lot. This is far from the first time she's worked super late. That's why my Grandma lives with us."

"But your Grandma is your dad's mother, right?"

Keesha smiled in spite of herself, impressed Phoebe remembered that. "Yeah. After the divorce, Grandma sided with Mom. That's why she offered to live with us."

Phoebe smiled back. "She seems nice."

"She is. I don't know what I'd do without her. My mom always works and since the divorce, my dad isn't around a lot."

Silence permeated after that comment. Phoebe looked around Keesha's room with curiosity. The room was painted light blue, and furnished with a bed, bookshelf, and desk. The walls were lined with photos of teen idols from Tiger Beat. Keesha had forgotten about that and was embarrassed someone else was seeing them, but Phoebe didn't react.

"I like your room."

Keesha breathed a sigh of relief, and the two went back to normal girl conversation. Serious discussion could wait.

* * *

Phoebe walked home slowly, tired from a long day. The class had spent the day exploring an ant colony to film Keesha's movie about ants. It had proven difficult for Keesha to find a star of the movie though. She was about to give up and had run off before Phoebe went after her. The two of them figured out that all the ants were the stars by how they worked together.

"Pheebs! Wait up!"

Phoebe turned around to see a smiling Keesha, who moved in to hug Phoebe before she could do anything about it.

"Thanks for all your help today, Pheebs. I meant it when I said I couldn't have done it without you."

"You're welcome. What are friends for?"

Keesha's grin somehow got wider. "Wanna hang out at my place?"

"Sure." Phoebe spending the afternoon at Keesha's house was gradually becoming a regular thing for both of them.

* * *

It was a cold winter day in early January. Winter break had just ended, and due to the cold, recess was being held inside. Being cooped up in a room was predictably problematic for Carlos, Ralphie, and Wanda. The three were wrecking as much havoc as the harried recess teacher would let them get away with. Phoebe and Keesha were content to sit in the corner and chat. Luckily for them, the three terrors considered DA (trying to study as always) and Arnold higher priorities to mess with, so the two girls were undisturbed. Keesha was glad for this, because there was something on her mind.

"Hey Pheebs, we spend a lot of time at my house, but why haven't you invited me to your house?" she asked.

Phoebe's eyes widened in surprise before recovering. "Why would want to come to my house?"

Keesha gave Phoebe a funny look. "Because that's what friends do. I've spent time at Wanda's and DA's houses before. I was even at Carlos's house once." She shuddered at that memory.

"Are you sure? Um, there's not much at my house."

Keesha's funny look remained. "That's OK, Pheebs."

Phoebe returned the look with a pensive one of her own. She sighed. "Alright, I'll ask Daddy and see if you can come over tomorrow."

Keesha smiled. "Good."

The next day, Phoebe took a deep breath as she opened the door to her house. A much more relaxed Keesha followed her inside.

"Daddy, I'm home!" Phoebe called out.

Mr. Terese walked down the stairs, cane in hand, to greet the girls. "Hey pumpkin," he said as he embraced and kissed his daughter on the forehead. "Is Keesha here?"

"Yes Daddy. She's standing to my left."

Mr. Terese held out his hand. Keesha grabbed it and the two shook. "Nice to meet you, sir."

"Nice to meet you, but please, no need to call me sir. Welcome to our home. It's great to see Phoebe making friends."

"Thank you," Keesha replied as she looked around the home. Her first thought was how small it was. From where she was standing, she could see almost the entire first floor: the living room, dining room, kitchen, and what appeared to be an alcove containing the washer and dryer. The living room held a small sofa and a chair. That was it. No TV or anything, which was unlike anything Keesha had ever seen. Everything was almost perfectly neat and tidy, which Keesha figured was to keep Mr. Terese from dealing with obstacles when getting around.

Phoebe stood there looking uncomfortable. "Do you want to see my room?" she asked Keesha, trying to sound normal.

"Sure." Keesha gave Phoebe a look, confused at why she looked so nervous. _We all knew her dad was blind, and I wasn't expecting a fancy house or anything, so what gives?_

Phoebe's room wasn't particularly large either. Like the rest of the house, it was tidy. The one exception was the piles of books spewed randomly on the floor. The room had a bookshelf, but it was already filled to capacity. Keesha noticed a lot of Nancy Drew and Boxcar Children books, along with plenty of Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary.

Phoebe blushed. "Um, I like to read."

"Yeah, I noticed," Keesha replied dryly.

"If you ever want to borrow anything, just ask. I've read most of them many times."

Keesha smiled. "Thanks."

Phoebe cleared space on the bed for the two to sit. She looked at Keesha apologetically. "I don't have much to play with. We don't have a lot of money, and when we have some extra, I just get more books. We used to live closer to the library and I could check them out there, but…"

Keesha gave her a look as Phoebe trailed off, but said nothing. On the nightstand, she noticed a photo of Phoebe from what appeared to be a few years ago. In the photo as well were her father and another woman, which Keesha figured had to be Phoebe's mother. The resemblance was obvious. Phoebe had never mentioned her mother, which Keesha found odd, especially since one didn't have to talk to Phoebe very long to find out how much she loved her Daddy.

Keesha grabbed the picture, "This is cute. Is that your mom?"

Phoebe's face suddenly changed and she looked very uncomfortable. Her eyes radiated pain. Keesha inwardly winced, kicking herself for upsetting her friend, no matter what the reason.

"Um, yes it is."

"Is everything OK, Pheebs?"

"No," Phoebe stopped, then let out a deep sigh. "My mom passed away three years ago."

Keesha's expression immediately switched to show her sympathy. "Oh Phoebe, I'm so sorry."

"It's OK. You didn't know."

"Um, if I may ask, why didn't you tell me?"

Phoebe looked away in a mixture of embarrassment and pain. "I didn't want to talk about it. It's hard, alright?"

Keesha put her arm around Phoebe. "I get it, and if you want to keep stuff from me, it's fine, but you don't have to. Just know that, OK."

Phoebe nodded, but not particularly convincingly. She still wouldn't look Keesha in the eye.

The African American girl continued. "I'm serious. You don't have to keep things from me. I told you about my disappearing father and workaholic mother."

"At least both your parents are still here!" Phoebe interrupted in a shaky voice.

Keesha ignored that outburst. "Is this why you didn't want me to come over?" she asked. Phoebe nodded, still looking away.

An awkward silence hung over the two girls. One didn't know what to say, the other was stuck in a whirlwind of emotions.

Finally, Phoebe gathered up the strength to speak. "I didn't want you to come over because I wasn't ready to tell you these things, about my mom and about how we live."

"You weren't ashamed, were you?"

"No! Just…I don't know." Phoebe buried her face in her hands.

Keesha kept her arm about Phoebe as she thought about what to say next. "Let's get the facts. First off, I don't care what stuff you have. I like hanging out with you for you, not for what you have. When we want to play with cool stuff, we'll just go to Wanda or DA's houses, or worse, the boys." She said the last part with a smile. "Second, I don't know what you're going through with losing your mom, but I bet talking about it could help. So, if you need to talk, I'm here. Anytime." Phoebe looked up and smiled, even though her eyes were still wet.

"That's better," said Keesha. "Now, onto more important things." She grabbed one of the Nancy Drew books lying around. "Do you mind if I borrow this? I've been meaning to start reading this series."

Phoebe shook her head. "Nope. I've read that one twice already."

* * *

It was a perfect early spring day in Walkerville. Keesha and Phoebe were sitting on the Terese front step. Phoebe stood up. "I'm going to get something to eat. Do you want anything?"

"You're still hungry? Jeez Pheebs."

"Hey, I'm not a plant anymore. I can't make my own food." Phoebe was referring to the class's production of _Jack and the Beanstalk_. After failing at building a beanstalk, Phoebe ended up being the beanstalk thanks to Miss Frizzle and the Bus. However, it took a while before the class realized she could grow by making her own food via photosynthesis. Luckily they figured it out, and Keesha convinced Phoebe to forget being scared and spread her leaves just in time.

Phoebe came back with a bowl of baby carrots. "You're already turning on plants, I see," Keesha joked.

Phoebe giggled, but her expression quickly turned more serious. "Um, Keesh?"

"Yes."

"Thank you for today. I couldn't have grown without your encouragement."

"You're welcome, but you don't have to thank me Pheebs."

"Yes I do. I'm sure the others cared about me, but it also felt like they mostly cared about the play. You though, I could tell were more concerned about me than the play."

"Why wouldn't I have been? And again, no need to thank me."

"OK, but, um, I have one more question." Phoebe suddenly looked very nervous and started rubbing her neck. Keesha raised an eyebrow but said nothing, waiting for the auburn haired girl to spit it out.

"Um, did you mean it when you said I was your best friend?"

Keesha's facial features immediately softened. "Of course I did! You're so caring and kind and supportive. You're exactly the kind of person I'd want as a best friend."

Phoebe's green eyes lit up. "And you're so confident and composed and supportive. That's what I wanted in a best friend."

The two hugged, and from then on there was no debate between them about how they felt about each other.

* * *

**A/N:** I of course do not own these characters. I'm just borrowing them.

Episodes referenced were _For Lunch_ (that was the 2nd episode aired, and since the first indicated there were field trips before, I figured it works as Phoebe's first trip), _Gets Ants In Its Pants_, and _Gets Planted._

In my headcanon, Phoebe is the reader in the gang (of fiction anyway, DA has them all beat with non-fiction). I was obsessed with the Boxcar Children series in elementary school. I also remember the Nancy Drew books and Blume and Cleary being popular authors with elementary school girls as well.


	2. Elementary School

**A/N:** I did not realize until after it published how much the first chapter works as an one-shot. It's not though, and shown by this new chapter.

Also, note that my other two stories and this one are intended to exist in the same universe.

* * *

Keesha stood outside Walkerville Elementary waiting for Phoebe, saying hi to people she knew as they passed. It was the first day of school, the first day of fourth grade for last year's Frizzle gang. Keesha had hoped to walk with Phoebe as usual, but upon reaching her house, her father said she was running late.

The kids had received their class assignments in the mail two weeks prior. Keesha and Phoebe were happy to be in the same class again, along with Arnold, Carlos, and Dorothy Ann. Ralphie, Wanda, and Tim had been assigned to the other fourth grade teacher.

Ten minutes before the opening bell was to ring, Keesha finally spotted a slightly out of breath Phoebe heading towards her. The taller girl waved.

"Hey Keesh."

"Hey Pheebs. Everything alright?"

"Yeah. It just took longer than I expected to find a first day of school worthy outfit. Stuff isn't fitting me like it used to." She gestured to her body, which was yet another inch taller from last year.

"Hey Terese!" yelled out a voice. Keesha and Phoebe turned to find Janet wearing her typical self-satisfied smirk. "Did your father dress you today? It sure looks like it."

Phoebe blushed and looked away. Keesha gave Janet a nasty glare as the latter walked inside. She gently touched Phoebe's arm. "Don't listen to her. You look fine."

"Really?" Phoebe was wearing similar clothes to her typical third grade outfit, only with long pants to cover the overalls not fitting as well.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. We have enough to deal with."

Phoebe nodded. "True. No Friz and we've all been separated." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Do you think we'll all stay friends this year?"

Keesha gave her best friend a caring look. Phoebe had expressed fears about this all summer. "I honestly don't know, but we're going to try." She noticed Carlos and DA heading their way and pointed them out to Phoebe. "See."

Phoebe smiled and the four greeted each other. The bell would ring though before they could continue the conversation.

* * *

"I still can't believe you don't have a TV!" gasped Wanda, displaying her usual tact.

Phoebe shrugged. "We did for a while, but it broke. We didn't watch it much, so there was no need to replace it."

"But what do you do for entertainment?" asked a still astonished Wanda.

"Read. Listen to the radio. Talk to each other."

"Talk to my _family_? Yuck."

Phoebe gave her a compassionate look. The Li's were on the cusp of divorce and there was a lot of tension in that household. That's why the four girls were hanging out at Keesha's place. "OK, Wanda. I'm just saying. We don't really miss TV."

Keesha entered the living room carrying a bowl of potato chips. "What's going on here?"

DA smirked. "Wanda was just questioning Phoebe's minimalist lifestyle because she doesn't understand it. You know, the usual."

"Wanda, leave Phoebe alone," Keesha commanded.

The Asian girl folded her arms. "Do you have to defend her all the time?"

"Yes," Keesha responded without missing a beat. "No acting like that word I'm not allowed to say." She turned to DA. "That includes you. No making fun of Wanda."

As DA frowned, Wanda's expression flipped to a smile. "Thank you," she said smugly.

"Yes, thank you," Phoebe added in a more grateful tone.

"Welcome Pheebs, but learn to stand up for yourself sometime," Keesha teased.

Phoebe looked confused. "I thought I was."

"With us, it doesn't count," Wanda blurted out. "Stand up to Janet and we'll be impressed."

Phoebe buried her face in her hands and mumbled something the others couldn't make out. Looking to change the subject, DA took control. "Why don't we start the movie?"

"Great idea," Keesha agreed. She got up, put a movie into the VCR, and sat back down on the end of the couch. DA was sitting on the other end, with Phoebe in the middle and Wanda lying on the floor.

Half an hour into the movie, Keesha realized that _Free Willy_ might not have been the best choice. She quietly left the couch to grab a box of tissues in anticipation of Phoebe's waterworks at the end.

* * *

Keesha and Phoebe got out of the backseat of Keesha's grandmother's car and half walked, half ran to the front door of the animal shelter, ignoring Mrs. Franklin's demand they walk normally. Keesha had wanted a dog for years, and her mother had finally relented. When Phoebe found out, she was even more excited than Keesha. It was only natural that Phoebe would assist in selecting the dog. If nothing else, Phoebe was adamant the dog come from the shelter and not a breeder or pet store. After a surprisingly detailed fifteen minute diatribe on the evils of dog breeders and puppy mills, Keesha was convinced. Of course, the plan was always to adopt from the shelter, but Keesha didn't have the heart to tell Phoebe that once she got going.

The girls entered the shelter. The woman working the front desk recognized the taller one immediately and frowned. "Phoebe, Mrs. Hopkins has already told you many times we don't allow kids to volunteer. Come back when you turn twelve."

"Oh no, Ms. Baker, I'm not here about that," Phoebe replied apologetically. "My friend wants to adopt a dog. I'm here to help."

"Yes, my name is Keesha Franklin. My grandmother called earlier."

Ms. Baker looked at the girls skeptically. Luckily, Mrs. Franklin arrived inside to take control of the proceedings. Upon seeing an adult, Ms. Baker relaxed and led them to the kennels.

"I'm having trouble deciding," stated Keesha after the three of them had been looking for a while.

"I know! They're all so cute!" Phoebe squealed.

"Well girls, you'll need to pick one soon," said a weary Mrs. Franklin. "We can't be here all day."

Keesha turned to an excitable puppy in a nearby cage. "How about this one?"

The other two turned the same direction to find a dog named Jake according to the tag on his cage.

"He's adorable!" Phoebe squealed again.

"You've said that about all of them dear," Mrs. Franklin gently teased.

"I know, but I really mean it this time! He's a Jack Russell Terrier, like Wishbone!" The girls had discovered the book loving dog on TV a few months ago, and Phoebe had been hooked ever since.

At that moment, they were met by Julia Hopkins, the director of the Walkerville Animal Shelter, who was making rounds. She looked at the group and smiled.

"Good to see you, Phoebe, but I'm sorry, you still have to be twelve to volunteer."

Phoebe blushed as the Franklins stared at her. "I know, Mrs. Hopkins. This is my best friend Keesha and her grandmother. They're looking for a puppy and I'm helping!"

"That's wonderful! Nice to meet you both." Mrs. Hopkins noticed the dog they were looking at. "Oh, our last Jack Russell. All his brothers and sisters have been adopted already."

"Are they good with kids?" Mrs. Franklin asked.

"Yes, that won't be an issue," Mrs. Hopkins replied. "However, Jack Russell's are very energetic. They can be hard to handle because they need lots of exercise." She bent down to look the girls in the eye. "Keesha, are you going to able to give Jake the exercise he needs? I don't want to hear that he's been cooped in your house all day. Trust me, your things won't be able to handle it if he is."

Keesha nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I'll be sure to take Jake outside every day, and I'm sure Phoebe will help."

"Of course I will!" the auburn haired girl quickly added.

Mrs. Hopkins smiled. "You two are sweet. Let's get the paperwork started and get this little guy to his new home."

Keesha and Phoebe smiled back. The former turned to Jake's cage. "Welcome to the Franklin family."

Mrs. Hopkins wasn't kidding about the energy level of Jack Russells. Once they got home, it took the girls two hours of playing with Jake to get him tired out. Mrs. Franklin looked at the exhausted twosome lying on the floor of living room and laughed. "Phoebe, I'll call your father and let him know you're staying here for dinner tonight." She paused. "And that you need a nap first."

Phoebe could barely nod in reply.

* * *

It was the summer between fourth and fifth grade. Keesha was getting ready for a two week trip to her first sleep-away camp. Phoebe was ostensibly helping her pack, but in reality the two just wanted to spend the day together before Keesha left. Wanda and Dorothy Ann were also going to the camp. Phoebe was not. Her father couldn't afford it, and while it wasn't discussed, both girls knew that was the reason.

"Is anyone else going to be around?" Keesha asked.

Phoebe shook her head. "Ralphie's at some sort of sports camp. Arnold and Carlos are on family vacations. Tim is sort of around, but he's working in his father's garage a lot."

"So what will you do the next two weeks?"

"I don't know. Take some walks. Read. Listen to ballgames with Daddy." Phoebe paused. "Read."

"You said that already."

"I know, but that's what I always used to do in summer, you know, before I…" Phoebe stopped, but Keesha knew what she was getting at.

"Well, it's only two weeks. We'll be back before you know it," Keesha put on a brave face. Phoebe smiled and went back to sorting clothes. Within no time, Keesha was all packed, and after playing with Jake for a while, Phoebe had to go home for dinner.

The two friends hugged goodbye. "Have a great time," Phoebe said, hoping it sounded like she meant it.

"Thanks, Pheebs. I'll call you the second I get back."

After Phoebe left, Keesha turned to her mother, who was in the kitchen making dinner. "Mom, why couldn't we have helped pay for Phoebe to come to the camp with me?"

Her mother quickly frowned, but just as quickly went back to a neutral expression. "Honey, that's sweet, but I don't think Phoebe or her dad would have wanted that."

"But it's not fair that they have so little!"

"I understand, but there's not much we can do. I've talked with Mr. Terese. They have enough to eat and a roof over their head. If something happened to put that in danger, then he'd of course ask for help. Otherwise, he wouldn't feel right asking. Do you understand?"

Keesha looked thoughtful. "I guess that makes sense. I want to help though. How can I?"

As Keesha said that, her grandmother walked into the kitchen. "You are helping by being her friend. Keep doing that and don't call attention to her situation or make her feel self conscious about it," she advised.

Keesha let out a small smile. "Sounds good, Grandma." The three of them sat down in the dining room. As they ate dinner, Keesha hoped that she was doing right by her best friend.

Unfortunately for Keesha, Phoebe had questions of her own when she got home. The Terese family was sitting down for dinner when Phoebe spoke up. "Daddy, are we poor?"

Mr. Terese grimaced before recovering. "Well pumpkin, poor is such a harsh word. I mean, yes, if we're talking about us not having as many things as other people, that's true. Or not being able to do as many things as other people can." He thought for a moment before realizing something. "This is about you not going to that camp, isn't it?"

"Yes," replied Phoebe in a guilty voice.

"I'm sorry. I tried, but the money just wasn't there."

"I know, Daddy. I'm not mad at you."

"Look Phoebe, I'm not going to pretend things aren't a struggle sometimes, and that situations like this won't happen in the future, because they probably will." He suddenly smiled. "However, the way I see it, I have you, and that's worth more than anything else I could possibly have. In that way, I feel like a very rich man."

Phoebe grinned, got up from her seat, and walked over to her father. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "Me too. I'm sorry for sounding ungrateful."

"It's alright. You're growing up, and I figured you'd start asking about these kinds of things. Just don't grow up so fast, OK."

Phoebe giggled. "I'll try, Daddy."

The next morning, Phoebe was lying in bed reading _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_ when she heard her father yell, "Phoebe, you have a visitor!"

Confused about why she would have a visitor, she walked downstairs to the front door. There, she found Keesha, holding Jake by his leash.

"Hey Pheebs, I had an idea last night that I can't believe I didn't think of sooner." She handed the leash to Phoebe. "Would you be able to watch Jake while I'm gone? I figured you'd be better able to keep him occupied, and this way you'd have some company. What do you say?"

"Yes, of course! Thank you!" yelled an excited Phoebe. She bent down to pet Jake, who appeared almost as excited as she.

Keesha laughed. "He's not going to want to come back home when you get through with him, is he?"

Phoebe shared the laugh. "I can't promise anything."

* * *

It was a Saturday night in early October. The girls were in fifth grade, and after months of pestering, their parents had finally consented to a sleepover. Their end goal was a larger sleepover with Wanda and Dorothy Ann as well, but for now the girls figured they needed to earn trust with just the two of them first.

Thus, here were Phoebe and Keesha in the latter's bedroom sitting on the bed. As the clock moved past 9:30 (their usual bed time), the two got more excited at this brave new world. Inevitably the conversation turned to the topic that seemingly all girls' sleepovers tend to turn.

"So, Pheebs," Keesha started with a mischievous grin on her face. "How's Arnold doing?"

Phoebe immediately turned deep crimson. "How should I know?"

"Because you have such a crush on him! When he talks to you, you can't form real sentences. When he looks at you, you somehow become clumsier. When are you going to do something about it?"

"Keesha!" Phoebe yelled, prompting an admonishment from Keesha's mother downstairs.

In a lower voice, Phoebe continued, "We're ten. We're not ready for that stuff yet, and what if Arnold doesn't like girls? He could be like Carlos. Remember when he pulled DA's pigtails?"

"Oh, Carlos only did that because he obviously likes DA. That's what guys do when they like a girl. Didn't you know that?"

"Um..uh…they do?" Phoebe stammered. "But Arnold's never been mean to me! Does that mean he doesn't like me back?"

Keesha shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. Arnold's not as mean in general as Carlos, so I'm sure you still have a shot."

Phoebe tried to smile and resume breathing normally. Suddenly her smile turned into a devious (well, devious for Phoebe) grin. "How about Ralphie?" she asked in her sweetest tone.

"Wha…what about him?"

"Ah ha! I knew you liked him!"

"What makes you say that?" Keesha retorted. She was starting to get irritated.

"The way you got nervous just now, and how you get nervous around him too. He's too dumb to notice…" _WHACK!_

Phoebe was interrupted by Keesha hitting her in the face with a pillow. The auburn haired girl gave Keesha a cross look. "What was that for? You started this."

Keesha's face fell. "You're right. I'm sorry, and yes, I like Ralphie." She sighed. "I don't know why. I just do."

Phoebe patted Keesha on the arm. "It's OK, but why did you have mention boys?"

"I don't know. I thought that's what girls usually talk about during sleepovers. That, and try on makeup, but Mom said no to that."

The two sat in silence for a moment before Phoebe spoke again. "Are we ready for this? This seems more grown up than I expected."

Keesha gave it some thought. "Well, now we know what not to do. How bout that? Better we figure this stuff out when it's just us before we invite Wanda to one of these things."

Phoebe nodded in agreement, and the girls returned to less toxic topics of conversation. Eventually though, they could no longer ignore their bodies' need for sleep, and the two decided to call it a night. Phoebe moved off the bed and into her sleeping bag. A few minutes later, Keesha was about to fall asleep when she felt a poke. She opened her eyes to view a nervous looking Phoebe.

"What's wrong, Pheebs?" Keesha tried to keep her voice neutral and not show her annoyance.

"Um, I'm afraid to go to sleep." Phoebe looked away in embarrassment.

"Why?"

"I don't know. I almost never sleep away from home." She paused, not sure how to verbalize what she was feeling. "It doesn't feel right not having Daddy around in case something happens."

The auburn haired girl forced herself to look at Keesha. "That sounds stupid, doesn't it?"

Keesha gave her a sympathetic look. "Don't worry about it. If you need to go home, I'll understand."

"Thanks, but I don't want be a bother like that."

"In that case then, I think I know what will help." Keesha leaned forward and woke up Jake, who had been sleeping at the foot of the bed. She pointed him in the direction of Phoebe. The Jack Russell sleepily but excitedly came to Phoebe and started to lick her face. Phoebe scratched behind his ear and felt her anxiety melt away. After a few minutes, Jake's fatigue overcame him and he fell back asleep next to Phoebe. Keesha smiled at the two as Phoebe softly petted the dog and lay back in her sleeping bag.

"Night Pheebs."

"Night Keesha, and thanks."

"Any time."

* * *

Spring was still trying to force its way into Walkerville on this late March day. For Walkerville Elementary's fifth graders, that meant another day of indoor gym class.

"Attention!" yelled Mr. McDaniel, the middle aged, no-nonsense gym teacher. "It's time for your favorite class of the year, square dancing."

The class groaned. Every year there was a gym class where the students had to square dance, and none of the kids could imagine why.

"OK, here are your partners," Mr. McDaniel emotionlessly continued. He rattled off the first few pairings, before turning to Arnold. "Perlstein, you and Terese."

Phoebe instantly blushed. Arnold looked at her sheepishly. He was mostly happy he didn't get stuck having to play a lady like last year, where there had been more more boys in the class than girls.

Mr. McDaniel either didn't notice or didn't care as he moved on. "Reynolds," looking at Tim, "and Franklin."

Tim and Keesha looked at each other and scowled, not at the fact they were partnered but rather the inevitably of it.

With the partners decreed, Mr. McDaniel went through the motions in showing the students the basics. Then it was time to put it in practice. The kids took their places in four person squares as the music starting playing.

"Honor your partner!" Mr. McDaniel commanded. Tim and Keesha executed their bow and curtsy without issue, but Phoebe in her nervousness almost fell on her face. Arnold quickly helped her up before most of the class noticed.

"Honor your corner!" came the next command. Luckily for Phoebe, this task was completed without incident.

"OK, start with a circle to the right!" The four joined hands and started moving in a circle. Well, sort of anyway. It looked more oblong than anything else.

"Do-si-do!" Again, Tim and Keesha had little problems, but Arnold and Phoebe couldn't get their arms untangled. Both were already getting flustered.

"Promenade!" Arnold moved to the inside, Phoebe to the outside. They clasped hands and tried to keep with the beat. The problem was their palms were so sweaty (particularly Phoebe's) that they couldn't stay gripped. As a result, they fell behind Tim and Keesha, to the point that the latter duo almost caught up with them.

"Terese, Perlstein, get it together!" barked Mr. McDaniel. "Now, swing!"

Both Arnold and Phoebe gulped. They joined elbows and began to swing…until Phoebe's lanky arm smacked him in the face. Arnold went down in a heap, pulling Phoebe down with him. Everything stopped as the rest of the class laughed at the two. Arnold quickly stood up and gave an embarrassed wave. Phoebe stayed down and wished a hole would swallow her up.

Mr. McDaniel sighed and shook his head. "Perlstein, Ramon, switch partners. Terese…I don't even know." The gym teacher blew his whistle. "OK, from the top!"

When gym was mercifully over, a still mortified Phoebe refused to talk to anyone on the walk back to class, feeling every finger pointed at her and every whispered comment. She refused to look at anyone until sitting down at her desk. Keesha followed and sat in her usual desk next to Phoebe. The auburn haired girl looked up at her best friend, green eyes desperately seeking comfort.

Instead, Keesha laughed.

"Keesha!" Phoebe snapped. "That was awful. I've never been more embarrassed in my life!" She buried her face in her arms.

"Oh Pheebs, I'm sorry," said a still laughing Keesha. "It was just…it was funny. In a few years, you'll back on this and laugh."

"I had hoped at least _my best friend_ would support me," Phoebe spat out, anger and hurt obvious in her voice.

Keesha finally stopped laughed and her expression softened. "OK OK, I'm sorry. Relax. Everyone knows square dancing is awful. Tell you what, I'll start a rumor you and Arnold did that on purpose to mess with McDaniel. I'll make sure the others back me up on it."

Phoebe nodded. "OK, but I'm still a little mad at you. I don't think I'm going to come over today."

Keesha frowned at that, but figured she probably deserved it. She relaxed though, knowing Phoebe was incapable of staying mad at anyone for long.

Unfortunately for Keesha, her embarrassment was to come later that day. During indoor recess, Ralphie decided Keesha was the perfect person to pull his finger, which he proclaimed quite loudly. Phoebe just watched and smirked. After class, she came up to black haired girl.

"Not fun to have the whole class looking at you, is it?"

Keesha sighed. "No, can't say that it was." She paused. "I'm sorry for laughing at you earlier. For real."

Phoebe tried to hold strong, but couldn't. "OK, I forgive you, but I still think I'll stay home this afternoon."

Keesha smiled. "Fair enough."

* * *

On the final day of fifth grade, their final day at Walkerville Elementary, Miss Frizzle's class from two years ago decided en masse to see their former teacher one last time. The eight sat in their old desks. They understood that a field trip was out of the question due to all the activity around the school. That wasn't what was important though.

"It's such a nice surprise to see you all again!" Miss Frizzle exclaimed, although her demeanor indicated that old classes visiting her was far from a surprise.

"We didn't want to leave this school without thanking you for all the amazing adventures we had," Carlos replied. The other seven nodded.

"That's very sweet of you all," said a clearly touched Miss Frizzle. She then looked at a certain curly haired boy and slyly grinned. "Even you, Arnold?"

Arnold grinned as well. "Looking back, the field trips weren't so bad. At times, they were kind of fun. I'm glad I didn't stay home."

"It's about to time you stopped being a weasley wimp," remarked Wanda.

"Just in time too," added Dorothy Ann, "with middle school coming up."

That comment silenced the class for a moment as the finality of it all hit them.

Ralphie spoke up first. "Is anyone else nervous about the future? It can't just be me." A few, like Wanda and Carlos, held out, but eventually everyone agreed.

"It's normal to be a little nervous about the unknown," reassured Miss Frizzle. "But it can also be very exciting! You'll get to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy like never before! Even better, none of you are going through it alone. You all have each other." The teacher smiled. "It's so nice to see all of you still friends."

"Some of us are more friendly than others," said Tim with a clever smile, as he looked behind him at Keesha and Phoebe.

"You're just jealous," Keesha coolly replied.

"Yeah," added Phoebe, who was trying to be cool but was much less convincing at it.

"Oh, get a room you two!" yelled Wanda, which elicited a strange look from the others.

"Wanda, do you even know what that means?" DA asked.

"Of course I know what it means," said Wanda in a confident tone. "It means…uh…um…"

Miss Frizzle laughed. "You're all growing up, but luckily not too fast."

Each member of the class gave Miss Frizzle a hug (with the boys making sure no one was looking into the room first) before heading out of the classroom and Walkerville Elementary for the final time. The eight chatted a bit about summer plans and made some last minute yearbook signings before going their separate ways. That left Keesha and Phoebe to walk home together.

"I can't believe elementary school is over. Next year is going to be so different," Phoebe mused.

"Yeah, a lot of stuff is going to change," Keesha admitted. Upon seeing Phoebe's worried look, she continued. "Remember what the Friz said though, we've all got each other."

Still looking apprehensive, Phoebe wasn't convinced. "Do you think that's going to be true though?"

In response, Keesha threw her arm around the taller girl. "I can't speak for the others, but you know you can count on me. I hope I can count on you too."

Phoebe threw her arm around Keesha. "Of course you can!" The two walked arm in arm to Keesha's house to start their summer.

* * *

**A/N:** Wishbone was another PBS show from the mid-90s, about a Jack Russell who reenacted classic novels. There is a 100% chance Phoebe would've loved the show.

If the sleepover story make no sense/is incredibly unrealistic, please let me know so I can tweak or delete it.

When I was in elementary school, there was always one or two gym classes a year where we square danced, for reasons that remain elusive and inexplicable. The "boy has to play a lady to even things out" situation may have happened to the author once.


	3. Middle School

**A/N:** In my headcanon, Walkerville is a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. This comes into play in this chapter. Also, I have 1994-95 as third grade with the Friz for the gang, meaning this chapter begins in the fall of 1997.

Also, if anyone has a better summary for this story, I'm all ears.

* * *

Phoebe took a deep breath and boarded the bus. It was her first day at Walkerville Middle School. The school was farther away than the elementary school, and thus she now had to ride the bus instead of walking. She gazed at the unfamiliar and semi-familiar faces before spotting Keesha, who gestured for Phoebe to take the seat next to her.

"Little different than the last time we were on a bus," remarked Keesha.

"Yeah," replied Phoebe, nerves evident in her voice.

Keesha patted Phoebe's arm. "Relax. It'll be fine."

"I'll try to keep that in mind."

The bus arrived at the middle school, a brick two story building whose age was beginning to show. To the girls' surprise, it didn't seem that much bigger than their old school. Keesha and Phoebe headed to their homeroom, which was still the only room they knew about. Joining them there were Arnold and Tim. The four kids greeted each other before finding their assigned seats and more importantly, their class schedules.

After the usual first day blathering by the homeroom teacher, the bell rang to dismiss them into the yonder. Keesha and Phoebe made a beeline to each other to compare schedules.

"It looks like we have the same class second period and…fifth period," Phoebe stated, her disappointment growing as she spoke.

"Two isn't bad," Keesha reassured. "I'm glad one of them is English though. This way I can get help from you if needed," she said with a smile.

"Science too. Let's hope we're in that with DA," Phoebe added.

"Guys, we might want to hurry or we'll be late for first period," interjected Arnold.

Each new period was a new opportunity for the old Frizzle gang to see which class had the most of their friends. The loser of this game was poor Wanda, who was the only one of the group separated from the rest in English. For Keesha and Phoebe, they got another win when they realized having fifth period together meant having lunch together, allowing with Carlos, Ralphie, and DA.

Of course, that would only be a good thing if the two could find the cafeteria. The school wasn't that big, but to them the hallways still felt like a labyrinth. Had someone not taken pity on them and escorted them to the cafeteria, they would've missed lunch completely.

"I used to have great sense of direction," Keesha teased. "Then I met you." Phoebe could only smile apologetically and shrug.

* * *

Keesha had to do a double take as she arrived at school. So many of her classmates look tired on this late October morning, and she was racking her brain trying to figure out why. Ralphie in particular looked destroyed, like his dog died.

Keesha still couldn't figure it out until she saw Phoebe in second period English, looking just as sad and tired as everyone else. That finally cleared things up, as Keesha remembered the Indians were in the World Series. Phoebe always listened to the games on the radio with her dad, and Ralphie was a baseball fanatic. For her part, Keesha was more into football and basketball, which held its own peril since the Cavaliers were usually terrible and the Browns no longer existed.

Judging by the looks, Keesha guessed it ended poorly, but something in her still felt compelled to ask. "So uh, Pheebs, how did it go last night?"

Phoebe gave her an angry look. "Really Keesh? You don't know?"

Keesha shook her head. "No, I really don't."

Phoebe sighed. "The Indians lost in extra innings. They had the lead in the ninth and blew it. They lost the World Series to a team that just started four years ago!" Her voice started to crack and she buried her face in her hands.

Keesha frowned. "Damn. I'm sorry."

"Thanks, but you wouldn't understand. I'd talk to Ralphie about it, but I'm not sure he's capable of speech yet."

Keesha nodded, not particularly surprised that Ralphie would take it that hard. "Want to come over after school? I'm sure a few hours with Jake would cheer you up."

Phoebe looked up sheepishly. "Um, I can't."

"Why not?"

"When the Indians lost, I said some bad words, so I'm grounded the rest of the week."

Keesha couldn't help but laugh at the usually sweet, never in trouble Phoebe Terese being grounded.

* * *

Keesha bemoaned her awful luck yet again. Days before Christmas she came down with the flu. Not just any old flu either, but a particularly nasty and debilitating strain. It had been a cycle of chills, burning up, extreme fatigue, and vomiting for almost a week. Christmas morning, Keesha could barely get downstairs to open presents.

Later that afternoon, Keesha was lying in bed in agony when her mother opened the door and walked in. She was carrying a walkie talkie and two boxes, all of which she handed to her daughter.

"What's this stuff?" Keesha asked in a weak voice.

"Wait a minute and you'll find out," Mrs. Franklin replied with a smile as she left the room.

Keesha pushed up her pillows and attempted to sit up, still confused at what was going on and too exhausted to figure it out.

Suddenly the walkie talkie chirped "Keesha! Come in Keesha!" Even in the distortion of the cheap toy, it was unmistakably Phoebe's voice.

Keesha grabbed the walkie talkie and hit the talk button. "Pheebs? Where are you?"

"I'm standing outside your window. Trust me. Don't waste your energy walking over here."

"OK, fine, but what are you doing out there?"

"I wanted to give you your Christmas presents, and since I'm not allowed in your house right now, I came up with this."

"Oh Pheebs, you didn't have to do that…" Keesha started.

"I wanted to, so don't worry about it and open your presents."

"OK OK! Which one first?"

Phoebe paused in thought. "The long box."

Keesha struggled for a moment with the box as she tried to make her stiff fingers work properly. Eventually, she got the wrapping off and the box open to reveal a simple, green scarf.

"Pheebs, it's awesome. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I made it myself."

"Really? Wow. I didn't know you knitted." Looking over the scarf more closely, Keesha could see the imperfections of someone still learning the craft. Not that she cared or was particularly worried about it.

"Yeah, apparently my mom was great at it, and some of that passed down. Now, open the other box."

Keesha complied, revealing a stack of notebooks. Before she could say anything, the walkie talkie chirped again.

"You've been talking about wanting to write, so I figured I'd give you the tools. You can't be near your computer all the time when inspiration strikes." Phoebe said, the latter sentence referring to the computer Keesha had gotten for her birthday last month.

Keesha smiled before remembering that Phoebe can't see her. "Thanks Pheebs..." Before she could say more, she was interrupted.

"Wait! There should be something else in that box."

Keesha took another look and found a piece of paper at the bottom. She picked it up and read it aloud on the walkie talkie. "This coupon is good for one batch of chocolate chip cookies baked by Phoebe Terese payable to Keesha Franklin once she gets better." Keesha gasped. "Phoebe, thank you so much. I feel bad I didn't get you anything. I didn't have time before I got this stupid flu."

"You're welcome and don't worry about it. The week I've had taking care of Jake was enough for me."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. In fact, I should get going before he destroys anything. Merry Christmas Keesha."

"Merry Christmas Phoebe."

After waiting a few minutes to make sure Phoebe was gone, Keesha laid back on her bed, exhausted. _What did I do to deserve such an amazing best friend_, she thought before falling asleep.

* * *

The signs posted on the walls of the school were simple: 6TH GRADE DANCE THIS FRIDAY 6 PM. The subtext was anything but. Thus far, the gang had been able to handle the transition to middle school. Switching classes during the day? Lockers? More extracurricular choices? Harder classes? No problem. The petri dish that is a school dance, with both genders mixed together in one room for two hours? That was proving to be more nerve racking.

Nevertheless, all eight were committed to going ("It's a rite of passage," argued Dorothy Ann). After some debate though, they decided not to plan anything. As Carlos repeatedly put it, the group needed to "let it ride." When pressed on what exactly he meant, he admitted he didn't know. It just sounded good.

Keesha's grandmother drove Keesha and Phoebe to the dance. As the girls got out of the car, Mrs. Franklin gave them her instructions. "Have fun. I'll be out here by five minutes after eight. Be ready or I will go in there and embarrass you."

"OK, Grandma." Keesha said, fighting back the urge to roll her eyes. The last time she did that she was grounded for a week.

"Yes, Mrs. Franklin. Thank you," replied Phoebe.

As Mrs. Franklin drove off, the girls stared at the front of the school. Keesha looked at Phoebe to find the taller girl looking visibly anxious.

"Try to relax, Pheebs. This isn't _that_ big a deal," Keesha reassured.

"I'm trying, but what if no one wants to talk to me?" Phoebe was breathing heavily, anxiety registering all over her face.

"Pheebs, we're all here. That's seven people right there who will talk to you."

"But what if you're all more into other people or I say something stupid or spill something or Janet wants to mess with me…"

"Pheebs! Stop!" Keesha took a deep breath. "If you don't chill out, there's no way you're going to have a good time. If Janet makes fun of you, Wanda and I will beat her up. We're not going to leave you to talk to other people, at least all night. Now, take a deep breath and chill. Everything's going to be fine."

Phoebe appeared to calm down, but at that moment, Wanda arrived. "You two know you need to talk to boys tonight, or else people are going to start thinking you're gay."

"So not helping Wanda!" yelled an exasperated Keesha.

Wanda wasn't fazed. "I'm just saying. C'mon, let's go in." She jabbed Phoebe in the arm to get her to move. Keesha gave her a quick shoulder squeeze before the trio entered the dance hall (aka the gym). The three quickly found Dorothy Ann, who had gotten there early to help set up.

"So, are we going to stay together?" DA asked.

"That seems like a good idea," Phoebe replied.

"To start. You know get the lay of the land," Keesha quickly added after seeing Wanda's unhappy look.

"OK," the Asian girl acquiesced. "For now, but we better get our groove working on the boys soon."

_One hour later…_

The dance was well underway. The music was pumping. There was electricity in the air. Or at least there would've been, except all the boys were still on one side of the room, and all the girls were still on the other side.

"How is this happening?" asked an annoyed Wanda. "It's so cliché."

"Well why don't you do something about it?" teased DA.

Keesha further twisted the knife. "Yeah, what happened to getting our groove on?" Phoebe said nothing, but her expression indicated her agreement.

"I…I…" Wanda stammered. "I don't see you all doing anything either!" She looked at a trying to hide Phoebe. "Arnold's over there! Go confess your undying love to him." Phoebe blushed and retreated further.

"Leave her alone," admonished Keesha.

"If you keep doing that, they will think you're gay!"

As the girls continued to argue, the boys were also contemplating changing the situation.

"Someone should go over there," Ralphie said flatly.

"Are you volunteering?" asked Tim.

"Why haven't you gone over there?" Ralphie shot back.

"Because I was banking on Carlos asking DA first and making an idiot of himself to break the ice." Tim rubbed his arm after Carlos punched him.

"Guys, there's no need to fight," Arnold pleaded. He rubbed his chin in thought. "I think I have a solution."

"We're listening," stated Carlos.

"Let's draw names out of Ralphie's hat. Whoever draws each girl asks that one to dance," Arnold explained.

"Do we have to just keep it in the group?" Tim asked.

"I think that would be best. Takes some of the pressure off."

Ralphie mulled it over. "I like it."

"And I can't think of a better idea, so let's go for it," Carlos added.

The boys wrote the girls' names and threw them into Ralphie's ever present red cap. The four of them each pulled a name, ran their fingers through their hair, and walked towards the girls' side of the gym. The offense was quickly noticed.

"Oh shit, the boys are coming!" Wanda practically squealed (whether in delight or terror, she couldn't tell). The girls quickly checked themselves over to make sure nothing was out of place, then gave the boys their sweetest smiles as they approached.

Carlos made it across the hall first. DA blushed expecting him to approach her, but was surprised to see him head towards Keesha.

"Would you like to dance, Keesh?"

Keesha gave him a look. "Sure, but may I ask why?"

Carlos grinned in response. "Why not? Aren't you amazed with how suave and debonair I am?"

Keesha couldn't help but laugh and took Carlos's hand. At the same time, Ralphie went up to Phoebe.

"Psst Pheebs, what do suave and debonair mean?"

"Essentially, Carlos thinks he's charming."

"Only in his head," Ralphie snarked before remembering why he was over there. "Oh, and would you like to dance?"

Phoebe blushed and took a deep breath. "OK."

At the same time, Arnold was asking Wanda and Tim was asking DA. All four temporary couples headed to the dance floor. Mercifully for them, a fast song was playing, allowing each grouping to have some distance and to not have to hold hands.

Seeing the gang take the bull by the horns relaxed the rest of their class, and both genders finally approached each other and started to dance. Carlos, of course, was mighty impressed with himself.

"I love when a plan comes together. Let the record show I saved this party!" he boasted.

"Dare I ask what you're talking about," Keesha responded, skepticism dripping from her voice.

"I got us to come down and ask you lovely ladies to dance."

"And pray tell how did you do that?"

Before Carlos could answer, Arnold awkwardly danced by and fielded the question first. "He didn't. I got everyone to move. I proposed we pick names out of a hat to figure which girl to ask."

Wanda hit him. "What? So, you didn't want to dance with me?!"

Arnold rubbed his arm. "I would have liked to dance with you Wanda. Or Keesha, or DA, or Phoebe. No one was making an actual decision, so we went with this way."

The other two pairings had stopped and were now staring at Arnold as well. Carlos and Ralphie gave him a look, mad he had spilled the beans. DA looked less than thrilled as well. Phoebe had a thoughtful look on her face, while Keesha was more irritated with Carlos for lying. Tim was more relieved he could stop dancing, having just discovered he hated it.

Keesha broke the silence. "So, none of you boys had a specific partner in mind? You were all just willing to leave it to chance?"

The boys looked each other, having no idea which response won't get them in trouble. Luckily, they were saved by Wanda's impatience.

"Whatever, don't care how you chose. Let's go Arnold." She grabbed the curly haired boy and went back to wildly gyrating all over the place. Arnold stared at her while halfheartedly trying to keep up. Keesha shrugged and went back to Carlos. Ralphie and DA also started back up again, their original partners no longer wanting to dance (in Phoebe's case, because she had almost tripped three times already).

The detente didn't last long, as the deejay put on a slow dance. Immediately, the Walkerville Middle School sixth grade class scattered back to their respective sides, not to emerge until the dance was over.

* * *

Keesha and Phoebe wandered the auditorium before spotting Wanda and Dorothy Ann. The four took seats towards the back. They quickly noticed the auditorium was all girls, and best they could tell, all sixth graders.

"Does anyone know what this about?" Phoebe asked.

"No idea," DA shrugged.

"If Miss Teacher's Pet doesn't know, then it must really be a secret," Wanda blurted out, earning her the evil eye from DA.

"Who cares what it's about? The point is we're not in class right now," Keesha said.

The girls continued to chat until the teacher ordered quiet. After ten minutes, she finally succeeded.

"OK ladies," the teacher began. "You're going to be going through some changes soon. Some of you might already be feeling your bodies change. This video will help describe what's going to be happening. The boys are watching a video in the cafeteria about what's going to happen to them. If you have more questions, and you certainly will, the nurses and guidance counselors are available, but we strongly urge you to talk to your parents about this."

With that, the sixth grade girls were subjected to a half hour video about everything that goes on in a girl's body during puberty. When it was over, the old Frizzle four just looked at each other, not sure what to say. It took until after school, when they were hanging out at a nearby playground, before any of them could process what they had seen.

"So, we're going to bleed a few days every month?" Wanda tried to fathom. "Ugh, gross."

"And all that talk about hormones. It sounds awful," Keesha continued.

"You never researched this, DA?" Phoebe asked.

DA shook her head. "I've read some anatomy books, but whenever my parents saw me reading about…those parts, they snatched the book away."

Phoebe sighed. "They told us to talk about this with our parents. I can't talk with Daddy about this stuff!"

"Don't worry about it, Pheebs," Wanda interjected. "It'll probably be a few years before any of that happens to you. I mean, it sure doesn't look like you've started growing boobs."

Keesha glared at Wanda for a minute before turning to Phoebe and smiling. "Pheebs, when I'm ready to talk with Mom and Grandma, you can join us."

Phoebe gave Keesha a big smile back. Wanda rolled her eyes. "You two really need to just make out already."

Any further teasing was halted by the boys trudging towards them. All four of them had a stunned, blank expression.

"I guess your assembly was as informative as ours was," said DA. She tried to sound sly, but was still in her own shock to be successful at it.

"Um, you could say that," Ralphie replied. "We definitely learned some things." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, did you know there's something called a wet dream?" Carlos added with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Carlos! Gross!" yelled the girls.

Ignoring the outburst, Tim continued, "And the places where we're going to grow hair. I mean, it's going to be everywhere."

"If you're all going to be disgusting and obnoxious, we're outta here," Keesha declared. The other girls dutifully followed save Wanda, who wanted more details.

The next day the gang all agreed to never speak of that assembly ever again.

* * *

On Thursday, May 14th, 1998, Phoebe turned twelve. On Saturday the 16th, her birthday party was held. On Sunday the 17th, Phoebe walked into the animal shelter, proudly declared her age, and asked to volunteer.

"I've never seen someone so happy to be cleaning litter boxes," Mrs. Hopkins was quoted as saying.

* * *

Keesha scowled as the Lexus pulled up. It was one of the last Saturdays of the summer, and there were all sorts of things she would rather be doing. Instead she was stuck spending the day with her father.

Alvin Franklin was one of the most successful attorneys in central Ohio. Ten years ago, unhappy with what he felt was tokenism, he started his own firm with a group of other African American lawyers. Headed by his hard work and ambition, the firm had become a titan of the area. It had brought Mr. Franklin plenty of wealth and prestige. Unfortunately, it also destroyed his marriage to his wife Sheila, herself no stranger to throwing herself in her work. They divorced five years ago, leaving their daughter in the crossfire.

With Keesha living with his ex-wife and his mother (another relationship that the divorce seemingly permanently strained), Alvin at least knew she'd been taken care of. Not knowing what else to do, he dedicated himself even more to his work, traveling more than ever before. The problem with that is visits to Keesha were few and far between. He always kept up with the ample child support payments, but that wasn't only what Keesha needed and he knew it.

Keesha got into the Lexus and immediately stared out the window. She gathered her strength before looking to her left.

"Hi, Keesha," her dad said gently.

"Hi Dad," Keesha replied flatly.

Mr. Franklin pulled away and started driving, but quickly realized he didn't know where to go. He had neglected to plan anything. For now, he decided to try some small talk and hope he thought of something.

"How are you?"

"OK," was the response, just as flat as before.

_Better come up with a plan soon_, Mr. Franklin thought. "I'd thought we'd head to Columbus. Does the zoo sound fun?"

Keesha folded her arms. "I'm not eight, Dad."

Mr. Franklin sighed. "OK, how about we head down there and see what catches our eye?"

"Fine."

They rode to Columbus in relative silence, broken only by Mr. Franklin's futile attempts to make conversation with his daughter. He was starting to get annoyed at Keesha, but he couldn't blame her for her coldness. He had been so busy for so long that he hadn't been around much. Any kid would've been hurt by that. Still, Mr. Franklin wanted to start trying to make it right and it would help if he could get some cooperation.

The two wandered around downtown Columbus for a while before settling on a movie. Mr. Franklin wasn't thrilled because that meant no talking (which was just fine with Keesha), but for now he'd deal with it.

After the movie, they headed back to Walkerville. They had just entered the city limits when Mr. Franklin found an empty parking lot and stopped the car.

"Keesha, we need to talk."

"Why?"

Alvin took a good long look at his daughter. "Look, I know I haven't been around a lot lately. That's 100% my fault and I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am. You have every right to be angry with me." He took a deep breath. "But I want to start making things right. I'm not going to work as much, so I can be around more and spend more time with you. I can't make it right though if you don't meet me in the middle, at least a little. All I ask is for you to give me a chance."

Keesha stared at him for a while, expression blank. "Do you know anything about me?"

Mr. Franklin gave her a puzzled look. "What kind of a question is that?"

"A simple one," Keesha shot back. "What do you know about me? Like, what's my favorite color?"

"Blue," Mr. Franklin answered a little too quickly.

"Wrong. It's green. What's my favorite subject in school?

"Keesha, this doesn't prove anything."

"Answer the question."

"English."

"Wrong. Science. What do I want to be when I grow up?"

"Well, I'm guessing not a lawyer," Mr. Franklin said in a desperate attempt to add levity to the situation. Keesha did not react, and this time her father decided not to guess. "I don't know. I'm sorry. What do you want to be?"

"I'm torn between journalism and teaching."

Mr. Franklin smiled. "You would be great at either of those."

Keesha smiled back in spite of herself. "You're just saying that because you have to."

"No, I mean it. You've always wanted to know everything about a topic once you sink your teeth in it, and nothing makes you madder than when someone's hiding the truth. I could definitely see that love of knowledge turning into a love of spreading knowledge, whether through writing or teaching." He let out a little grin. "See, I do know some things about you."

"OK, I guess you do."

The two retreated into silence once again as the car remained stationary. Finally, Mr. Franklin spoke again. "I hope this means you're thinking about it."

"You could say that."

"What do you want to do? Are you ready to go home?"

"No. Take me to Phoebe's house please. You know who _that_ is, right?" Keesha said that last part with a little more malice than she intended.

Mr. Franklin pretended not to notice. "Yes, but I don't know where she lives."

Keesha provided the directions, and twenty minutes later, the car pulled up in front of the Terese home. Keesha took a deep breath before leaning over to hug her dad. "Thank you for today. I'll keep thinking about it."

"You're welcome, and I'll remember to keep my promise. I love you."

"Love you too." With that, Keesha opened the car door and walked to the Terese front door.

Phoebe was lying on her bed reading _The Outsiders_ when she heard the knock. She looked up and smiled. "Keesh! What a nice surprise. I thought you were with your dad all day." Phoebe's smile faded when she saw her best friend's brooding look. "What's wrong?"

Keesha walked over and joined Phoebe on the bed. "My dad says he's going to be around more, that he's not going to work as much."

"That's great!" Phoebe exclaimed.

Keesha looked much more skeptical. "He's been saying that my entire life. Why would this be any different? Last time he said it, he went to China for six months on business."

Phoebe nodded. "So you're afraid of getting hurt again?"

"Exactly."

The taller girl thought it over. "I understand, but it's your dad. Maybe he deserves another chance."

Keesha shook her head. "I don't know, Pheebs. My dad is nothing like your dad. You're lucky that way."

"Thanks, I know. We're all we've got," Phoebe replied with some sadness in her voice.

Keesha looked down at the floor as she fought back tears. "My parents though, they have their work, which they do all the time. Grandma practically raised me, and I'm grateful for that, but it would be nice to have my parents pay attention to me for once."

Phoebe wrapped her arm about the dark haired girl. "I'm sorry, Keesh."

"Thanks."

"Think of this way. Your mom is working to support you *and* your Grandma, and it's not like she's always absent. I'm sure she's doing what she thinks is best. And your dad, the way I see it, if he didn't want anything to do with you, he would've stopped visiting. It may take a while, too long even, but he does come back. Your parents love you. I'm sure of it. Your dad's made some mistakes, but if he truly wants to start making it right, you should take it with everything you've got."

Keesha looked at her best friend with curiosity. "Is there anyone that you don't see the best in all the time?"

Phoebe shrugged. "Janet?"

"Good call."

The two sat in silence for a moment before Phoebe spoke up again. "Do you know what you're going to do?"

"I told Dad I'd think about it, and I meant it."

"That sounds fair."

"Yeah." Keesha paused. "Thanks for listening Pheebs."

"You're welcome." Phoebe stood up. "I need to go start dinner. Want to stay for it?"

Keesha nodded. "Sure. Can I help? If I can prove here I can be trusted with appliances, maybe Mom and Grandma will trust me with their precious 'brand new kitchen.'"

Phoebe giggled. "Absolutely."

* * *

Phoebe was in her room writing in her story notebook. Along with reading, writing was one of her favorite activities. She loved to create new stories and poems, although she was still far too nervous to share them with anyone. Her writing still felt much too personal for that, but it did help relax her. She needed it after a day like today.

Her concentration was broken by a knock on her door. She turned around expecting her father, but was surprised to see Keesha standing there.

"Hey Pheebs."

"Um, hey Keesh. What are you doing here?"

Keesha started to speak, but Phoebe stopped her. "Wait! I need you to close your eyes for a minute."

A confused Keesha did so, giving Phoebe the time to put her story notebook in its usual hiding place under her mattress.

"Hiding your diary?"

"Um, something like that. OK, you can open your eyes." Once Keesha did so, Phoebe repeated her question.

"I wanted to say hi and see how you were doing. Something was off with you at school today. Still looks like something is bothering you."

Phoebe looked down at her feet. "I didn't think anyone noticed."

"The others didn't I don't think. They were too wrapped up in themselves, but I've been around you long enough to know when you're upset. Plus, your dad is listening to an Indians playoff game and you're not down there with him."

Keesha sat down on Phoebe's bed and motioned for the auburn haired girl to join her. "Want to talk about it?"

Silence hung in the room as Phoebe internally debated whether to open up. After a few minutes, she let out a deep sigh and began. "Do you know what today is?"

"Friday?"

"Yes, but more specific."

"October 9th."

Another sigh from Phoebe. "Yeah." Another long pause. "That's the day I found out my mom was sick."

"Oh damn, Pheebs."

"Yeah, I was four, so it's one of my earliest memories. Then came all the chemo and watching her fight so hard but get weaker and weaker, and then…" Phoebe could no longer keep it together and started to cry. Keesha instinctively put her arm about Phoebe, who collapsed into Keesha's chest. For a while, the two stayed like that: Phoebe sobbing, Keesha rubbing her back.

Eventually Phoebe's sobs gave way to sniffles, and she pulled her head back up. "Sorry about that," she said in a soft voice. "Today always reminds me of when everything changed. It's almost as painful as the anniversary of when she died."

"There's no need to apologize. Not at all."

Phoebe wiped her eyes and forced a smile. "Thank you."

Again instinctively, Keesha wrapped an arm around her best friend. "Do you want me to stay a while? I don't have to be home until 10."

Phoebe smiled more legitimately this time. "I'd like that." She stood up. "C'mon, you can listen to the game with us."

Keesha figured for one night she could deal with baseball.

* * *

"I'm afraid she's going to need braces."

With that sentence from the dentist, both Keesha and her mother cringed: the latter because of how much it would cost, the former because of how it might affect her social standing. On the way home, Keesha's mother scolded her on the importance of dental care, but the damage had already been done, and the appointment was scheduled for two weeks later.

The one silver lining for Keesha is that it was still summer, so she could keep her new mouth accessories hidden from most people for a little bit at least. However, she did invite the other three girls to her house to survey the damage.

"It doesn't look _that_ bad," Phoebe said gently.

"Oh c'mon Pheebs, don't be like that," Wanda chided. "Keesha's got a full on tin grin now! It's wonderful. There's goes my main competition in popularity next year." That last comment earned Wanda a glare from the others.

"Didn't you have a retainer a few years ago, Wanda?" Dorothy Ann asked, a sly grin forming on her face. She looked at Keesha. "It's not that bad, really, and I'm pretty sure if anyone could pull off braces, it's you."

"So? I could hide that. Keesha can't hide this," Wanda retorted.

Keesha sighed and turned away. "Just great. I look awful. My mouth is sore all the time, and I can't eat anything good. This sucks."

"Them's the breaks," Wanda blurted out before anyone could offer more comforting words.

Phoebe glared at her. "That's enough, Wanda," she spoke in the sternest voice she could muster.

The Asian girl threw up her arms. "Ugh, you two are impossible. We can't make fun of either of you because the other will just jump down our throats." She turned to DA. "We need to become best friends, if just to compete with Beanpole and Metal Mouth."

DA was bemused. "Wanda, I don't think it works that way. I like you, but we just can't become best friends like that. Not like Beanpole and Metal Mouth anyway."

Meanwhile, a bewildered Phoebe and Keesha looked at each other. _Beanpole? Metal Mouth? _

Wanda laughed. "Sweet, we have nicknames for them now."

Keesha let out a small growl. She had had enough. "Get out of here, Wanda."

"Fine."

"And don't go blabbing about this to anyone else," Phoebe demanded.

"Relax. I like to tease when it's just us, but you guys know I wouldn't do that around the other bitches we go to school with. Right?"

The other three girls looked at each other, not sure how to answer that. Wanda threw up her hands in frustration again as she stormed out. "Whatever."

Once Wanda left, Phoebe patted Keesha on the arm. "We're serious. It looks fine, and like half the school wears braces."

"Thanks Pheebs. You're the best."

DA giggled at that. She quickly explained. "You two are something else. I'm a little jealous, to be honest."

"You could try to best friends with Wanda." Keesha offered.

"I don't think she is capable of a relationship like yours," DA replied with a smile.

"We don't make you guys feel left out, do we?" Phoebe worried.

"Sometimes," DA admitted. "But it's OK. You guys have something good, and I'm not going to mess with it."

Phoebe and Keesha smiled at the blonde girl. "Ow!" Keesha yelped. "This is going to be a long two years."

* * *

The whole mess started innocently enough. The gang, now in eighth grade, were all eating lunch together (by amazing coincidence, they all ended up with the same lunch period). The conversation was proceeding normally until Carlos asked the telltale question.

"What's everyone doing for Halloween?"

Tim groaned. "I'm stuck taking my sister trick-or-treating."

"Ugh. I'm glad my parents are still willing to take Evan," DA added with sympathy.

"What's wrong about trick-or-treating?" Phoebe asked innocently.

"Yeah," added Wanda. "Free candy! What's not to like?"

Keesha gave Phoebe a look. "We're thirteen. We're too old for trick-or-treating. That's kid stuff."

Wanda rolled her eyes. "We're not in high school yet, so I think we have one more year. Plus, free candy!"

"Wanda does make a convincing argument for once," agreed Carlos, who quickly ducked the pretzel Wanda threw at him.

Keesha remained skeptical. "It still seems stupid. We should be getting ready for high school, not this kid crap." Tim and DA were nodding in agreement. Ralphie looked at her funny. Arnold just looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.

"I didn't realize you felt this way," Phoebe stated carefully.

"And I'm not surprised you don't want to grow up," Keesha retorted.

Phoebe's face burned at that remark and her eyes shrunk to slits. "Well at least I'm not so desperate to grow up I practice kissing in front of the mirror."

The group gasped at the nastiness of that comment, especially given who it came from. Keesha furrowed her brow and crossed her arms. "Well at least I don't still play with dolls and bask in being a Daddy's girl," she said with ice in her voice.

Phoebe's face somehow turned an even darker shade of red. "Fine! You want to be an adult so bad, go ahead. See if I care." She quickly got up and rushed out of the cafeteria.

"It's called growing up! You should try it sometime!" Keesha yelled at the back of Phoebe's head before storming out herself.

Back at the table, the rest of the gang stared at each other in disbelief.

"Phoebe and Keesha? Fighting? Have we entered the Twilight Zone?" Carlos wondered.

"I guess there's a first time for everything," Tim pondered. Arnold just closed his eyes and wished he had stayed home today.

The rest of the week was awkward for everyone as they walked on eggshells between Keesha and Phoebe, who were not speaking. On Halloween night Phoebe, Ralphie, Carlos, Arnold, and Wanda all went trick-or-treating together, while Tim took his sister as instructed. Keesha hung out with DA, the other trick-or-treat abstainer, for a while, but after a few hours Keesha couldn't take the breathless enthusiasm about astronomy. _Does that girl ever shut off her brain?_ Keesha thought.

Thus, Keesha was spending the rest of her night on her computer exploring this new fangled Internet thing. Occasionally she would halfheartedly throw a tennis ball across the room for Jake to chase. Her focus was such that she initially didn't notice the knock on her door.

"Wha?" Her eyes widened in surprise. "Pheebs?"

Standing in the doorway was Phoebe, semi-dressed as a cat with ears glued on top of her headband and a tail pinned to her pants. In her hand was her candy bag. She looked a little uneasy. "Hey Keesh," she said, looking down at the floor.

Jake noticed the visitor and excitedly ran up to Phoebe, who bent down to pet him. Keesha smiled. "He missed you."

"I missed him."

The two looked at each other, not sure what to say. Eventually, Keesha broke the ice. "Nice costume, but it seems a little incomplete."

"Well, I don't have the skill yet to make a full costume, so the ears and the tail had to do."

Keesha nodded. "How was it?"

"It was ok. None of us really made a big effort in dressing up. Wanda didn't even bother with a costume and put her candy in a garbage bag."

Keesha tried not to roll her eyes. "Sounds like Wanda."

More silence as the two girls sized each other up. It seemed like they each were hoping the other would say it first. Finally, they both gathered up the courage at the same time.

"I'm sorry."

Both took a deep breath. This time Phoebe spoke first. "I'm sorry for telling everyone about the kissing thing." She swallowed. "That was a real jerky thing to do."

"Apology accepted. I'm sorry for the doll crack and saying you didn't want to grow up. That wasn't fair."

Blinking back tears, Phoebe put out her arms out. "Apology accepted." Keesha moved in to complete the hug. When the two released each other, Phoebe continued. "It's not like I don't want to grow up…"

"I know," Keesha interrupted. "You're probably more grown up than any of us. You actually know how to do laundry."

Phoebe giggled. "It's not that hard." Her expression turned serious again. "But that's why I'm not really in a hurry. We're only going to be kids so much longer."

Keesha nodded. "I know, but I guess I'm a little tired of it." She shrugged. "I'm ready to do the stuff older kids do, what high schoolers do. Go to parties, stay up later, date, stuff like that."

Now it was Phoebe's turn to nod. "Yeah, it's not all bad. I guess I just think about the bad stuff, the responsibility and the pressure and all that."

Keesha suddenly sighed and balled her fists. "Why didn't we just talk about this earlier instead of having this stupid fight? Ugh! I let my stupid pride get in the way."

"If it helps, I did too, and I've hated every minute of this week. I didn't end up caring that much about trick-or-treating. It just reminded me that my best friend was mad at me."

Keesha walked to her bed and sat down, motioning for Phoebe to do the same. "Well, we're not mad at each other anymore. Let's make a pact now. If we're mad at each other, we talk it out as soon as possible and not avoid it. This week sucked for me too."

"Deal." The two shook on that. Phoebe handed Keesha her candy bag. "Here. You can have some. Take whatever isn't going to mess with your braces."

"Thanks Pheebs. Now let's do some catching up before you have to go home."

Phoebe grinned. "I already asked Daddy if I could stay over tonight and he said yes. So did your mom."

Keesha grinned back. "Excellent."

* * *

Time was ticking down on the school year. The gang's middle school careers were about to come to an end. Keesha was prepared to help Phoebe through her usual anxiety about anything regarding change. Phoebe was certainly anxious at the moment, but that wasn't the reason.

"Earth to Phoebe."

The auburn haired girl didn't respond. She was more focused on the lunch table across from hers, where Arnold and Wanda were eating and holding hands.

Keesha noticed the duo and put the pieces together. "I see someone hasn't accepted the new lovebirds yet."

Phoebe sighed. "What does he see in her? Don't get me wrong, I like Wanda, but well…she's Wanda."

Keesha shrugged, but before she could say anything, Carlos jumped in. "Aw, Pheebolino's jealous!"

She gave him a cross look. "No I'm not!"

Ralphie shook his head. "Sorry Pheebs, but it's obvious."

"And if Ralphie notices, than it must be true," Tim continued, getting a Mallowblaster thrown at him for his troubles.

Phoebe blushed at knowing how transparent she had been. She tried to ignore the couple and finish her lunch.

Later in the day Phoebe was on her way to seventh period math when Wanda caught up with her. The Asian girl wasted no time. "Do you have a problem with me and Arnold?"

"Um…uh…no," Phoebe stammered.

"Liar. Look, I like Arnold. He likes me, and we're having some fun. I'm sorry you didn't have the girl balls to ask him out yourself, but that's not my problem."

Another sigh from the taller girl. "I know. I'm not mad at either of you."

"If it helps, Arnold clearly likes you a lot as a friend. That reminds me. I need to make him shut up about you."

Phoebe let out a full, wide smile. "Really?"

Wanda scoffed. "Yes, but don't let to go to your head." The bell rang was class. "Shit, we're late. I'm blaming you by the way." She turned her head back to Phoebe. "It's pointless asking you to not tell Keesha any of this, right?"

"I'll try not to."

Later that afternoon at Keesha's house, Phoebe was telling her what Wanda said.

"He likes me," Phoebe practically cooed.

"Yes, as a friend. Don't go overboard here," Keesha warned.

"Then what should I do?"

"Relax. Don't do anything. Let Arnold and Wanda's relationship blow up like we all know it will."

"Are you sure it will blow up?"

"No way they make it through the summer. If they're still together when school starts, I'll let you take Jake for a month."

Phoebe's eyes bugged out. "School? Oh God, high school next year! Everything's gonna change again! I'm not ready!"

Keesha kept her expression neutral as Phoebe panicked, but inside she was kicking herself for getting Phoebe started. _Me and my big mouth._

* * *

**A/N: **The Indians lost the 1997 World Series in 7 games to the Florida Marlins, losing the 7th game in extras after Jose Mesa coughed up the lead in the 9th. The game in question on October 9th the next year was Game 3 of the ALCS. The Indians beat the Yankees 6-1 on the strength of a complete game by the still active Bartolo Colon.

I had previously written about Phoebe and her mother's (theoretical, but it seems like every writer here has done this) death in my first story, _The Pain That Never Goes Away_. There's your shameless plug for the day.

Up next is high school. It'll be broken up in at least two chapters, and possibly four if the ideas flow.


	4. High School (Part One)

**A/N:** As said in the last chapter, high school would either be two or four chapters. The verdict is in, and it will be four. This chapter is solely freshman year. To reorient, this chapter begins in the fall of 2000.

* * *

Keesha heard the knock on the door and moved to answer it. She knew it was Phoebe, right on time for the two to walk to their first day at Walkerville High School. Unlike the middle school, which was located across town for reasons unknown, the high school was close to the elementary school and their respective homes. Thus, the two once again could walk without issue.

"Grandma, we're leaving!" Keesha yelled out. Her mother had already left for work.

"OK sweetie, have a good day!" Mrs. Franklin yelled back. "You too Phoebe!"

As Keesha closed the door, each girl let out a deep breath. Both knew this was the big time, and there was no going back. The two tried their normal small talk to decrease the tension, but it wasn't working. For once, it was Keesha that seemed to be struggling more. She had an announcement, and she wasn't sure how Phoebe was going to take it.

"So Pheebs, remember the field hockey camp I did this summer?" Keesha asked. The taller girl nodded. "Well, I liked it and was pretty good at it, so I'm going to try out for the team. Tryouts start today, and usually there aren't enough girls for cuts, so I should at least make JV."

Instinctively, Phoebe clapped her hands in support. "That's great!" A few seconds later though, she realized what that meant and her face fell. "So, you won't be around after school this fall then?"

Keesha shook her head. "Sorry, but no. The season runs to early November." Keesha knew what was bothering Phoebe and tried to figure out how to make things better. "We'll find a way to see each other, and yes, you're still my best friend. The field hockey girls are cool and all, but they're not you."

Phoebe breathed a sigh of relief. "I know. I'm sorry for thinking selfishly. I'm happy for you. I'm sure you'll do great."

_I love that she thinks *that* is being selfish when she's seen how others are…_Keesha thought. "Does that mean you'll come to my games? I'm going to need a cheering section," she said out loud.

"Of course. Is it OK if I bring a book though?"

Keesha laughed. "Sure."

The two reached Walkerville High School. Like the other schools in the area, the building was primarily brick. Unlike the other schools, this one was twice as big, and still had the sheen of a recent renovation. Standing just outside the building was the rest of the gang. Carlos noticed them first.

"Alright, everybody's here! The Twins have arrived!" he exclaimed.

Keesha and Phoebe looked at him funny. "Did you call us twins?" the former asked.

"No, the Twins." Upon seeing two blank stares, Carlos continued. "You two are always together, to the point where you seem to understand each other without talking. You've basically become twins, so that's where we're going to call you now."

Keesha looked at the rest of the gang. "And you've all decided this?" Six nods came back in return.

"And you do realize Keesha and I still separate people?" Phoebe added. Again, six nods.

The newly monikered Twins took a minute and looked at each other before turning back to the gang. "We're not getting out of this, are we?" Keesha pondered.

"Nope," Wanda said coolly.

"So we need to just accept it now?" asked Phoebe.

"Yep," replied Ralphie.

"Fine," the two said in unison, which sent the rest of the gang into hysterics.

"See! That's why you're the Twins!" Carlos yelled as if he had made an important discovery.

* * *

In comparison, the first day of high school was uneventful. There was the usual discovering of which classes everyone had with each other. For Keesha and Phoebe this year, that meant having math and English together, as well as a late in the day study hall twice a week.

They showed some restraint. It took them the second week of the year to get in trouble for talking during that study hall.

* * *

The gang was excited for their first varsity football game as high schoolers. Living in a medium sized town in football crazed Ohio, none of them were strangers to high school games. Each of them had spent at least a few in the stands with the adults and smaller kids. However, now that they were Walkerville High School students, they could go down and walk the track surrounding the field, the usual way the students consumed the game. Ralphie in particular was pumped, as it was his first varsity game. He was one of the few freshmen to make the varsity squad.

The problem was space was limited on the track, and as freshmen, the gang would not be given an inch. By the second quarter, they had given up and come up for air along the outside edge.

"Bastards. Won't let us through," Wanda groused.

"Yes, shocking your attempts to push seniors out of the way didn't work," Tim said sarcastically.

"It's not so bad back here. You just have to stand on your tip toes to see anything," Arnold offered, trying to make the best of it.

"Who asked you, Perlstein!" Wanda shot back. "Some of us aren't tall enough to do that, and whose here to watch the game anyway? The whole point is to hang out and find popular upperclassmen who will take us under their wing." As predicted, Wanda and Arnold's relationship collapsed over the summer, and tension was still there between them.

"Shouldn't we at least be watching Ralphie?" asked Keesha. Phoebe, DA, and Arnold nodded their agreement.

"From here, you can't really see him. Linebackers are always in the middle of everything," Carlos noted.

The gang's banter was interrupted by a cheer, followed by the PA: "With the sack, #56, Ralph Tennelli!" As it had been third down, Walkerville's opponents now had to punt.

Ralphie saw his friends as he walked off the field. He took off his helmet and gave them a wide smile (showing his mouth full of braces). He flashed a thumbs up before a coach noticed and forced him to the other side of the bench for a tongue lashing about keeping focus.

"How cute. He's trying to get people not to use his nickname," Wanda snarked.

"Wanda, if you're going to be a bitch all night, I'll find a different spot to stand," a fed up Keesha declared.

"Fine with me. You're just mad I'm making fun of your crush." Wanda waved her hand in indifference as Keesha walked away. Phoebe paused a minute before following the dark haired girl.

"And of course your girlfriend follows you like a lost puppy," Wanda remarked with bitterness. Keesha was too far away to hear it, but Phoebe heard it loud and clear and immediately turned red with embarrassment.

"Wanda, stop it!" Arnold pleaded. "If you're still mad at me, fine, but Keesha and Phoebe didn't do anything to you."

"Yeah," Tim added. "And as much as we would like Keesha and Phoebe to make out, they just don't swing that way." The remaining four in the group turned to stare at him. He folded his arms and frowned. "Way to back me up here guys."

"You weren't supposed to tell anyone we talked about that," Carlos admonished.

"Oh well," replied a nonchalant Tim. "I'm outta here." He left the group to find Keesha and Phoebe. Arnold and DA quickly followed.

"Fine. Go, whatever." Wanda grumbled. She turned to Carlos. "At least you're sticking with me."

Carlos shrugged. "Someone has to keep you from doing something crazy. Guess it's my turn."

Normally Wanda would've taken that as a dare to try something, but her opportunity was lost when the crowd roared. Walkerville had scored a touchdown to take the lead. Even Wanda got caught up in the excitement.

"Carlos. Put me up on your shoulders so I can see," she commanded. Carlos complied. The rest of the gang, from their new vantage point, got a chuckle out of the attempt. Carlos, for all his athleticism, didn't have the balance to keep both him and Wanda upright. The other five and those around them got a good laugh as Carlos and Wanda hit the ground. A mortified and furious Wanda got up, pushed Carlos back down, and left without a word.

Monday morning Wanda apologized for her behavior. Used to her mood swings, the gang quickly forgave her. They could have done without her trying to blame it on having her period though.

* * *

Phoebe answered the door. "Morning Keesha!" she said with a smile. That smile faded quickly when she noticed Keesha's irritated visage. "What's wrong?"

"Pheebs, I know you're not thrilled with me being on the field hockey team and not around in the afternoon…"

"What? I'm fine with that," Phoebe interrupted.

"Then why you are spending all this time with Dorothy Ann!" Keesha shot back. "Wanda told me."

Phoebe looked confused for a moment before her eyes snapped in recognition. "Oh, I've just been seeing her in the library a lot after school."

Keesha raised an eyebrow. "The library? Really, Pheebs?"

Phoebe enthusiastically nodded. "Yes, really. The library at this school is great! It's twice as big as any I've seen, and Ms. Albert is an amazing librarian. She's already given me some great recommendations!"

"That's nice, but seriously, DA?"

"Yes, we see each other in the library a lot. You know DA, now that it's high school, she feels like she has to study 24/7 to get into college." Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Sometimes we talk. Sometimes we don't. She tries to teach me things about physics I don't understand, and I try to convince her that the Brontes can be just as interesting as the Curies. Neither of us succeed."

The two stood in silence before Phoebe suddenly giggled. "Keesh, are you jealous?"

Keesha was taken aback. "What? No! Don't be ridiculous."

Phoebe giggled again. "OK, but then why were you so mad that I might be hanging out with someone else? Why did you listen to Wanda and her gossip?"

Keesha frowned, realizing that her best friend was right. "OK, maybe I was a little jealous." She paused, searching for a comeback. "But it's not like you weren't worried I'd ditch you for my teammates!"

"True, but I'm insecure, and you know that. You're supposed to be the one that's sure of herself."

Keesha let out a long sigh. "I guess I'm not all the time."

Phoebe patted Keesha's shoulder. "It's alright. Look, I like DA and all, but she's not you."

Keesha finally let out a small smile. "I think we need to hang out more, like we used to."

The taller girl smiled back. "Agreed."

* * *

It was mid-November, and Walkerville was dealing with its first cold snap of the year. In theory, this would slow down the high school meat market as the teenagers desperately added layers of clothing as their bodies adjusted to the cold. That was what would make sense. Of course, Carlos Ramon and sense were often mutually exclusive.

Keesha and Phoebe were chatting after school when the former spied the Latino boy heading their way. She turned to him and attempted to get him to go away as quickly as possible. "No Carlos, you can't borrow my science notes because you were too lazy to take any. Ask DA."

Carlos chuckled. "Oh Keesh, that's not why I'm here. In fact, I'm not here to see you at all. Can I talk to Pheebolino here alone?"

Keesha raised an eyebrow, while Phoebe just looked confused. The dark haired girl shrugged. "Alright Carlos, but I'm keeping an eye on you."

As Keesha walked away, Carlos turned to Phoebe. "Is she always that protective of you?"

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah." After a moment, she continued. "What do you want?"

Carlos grinned lecherously. "I wanted to ask you something." He paused in case Phoebe had something to say. Hearing nothing, he went on. "What are you doing Saturday night?"

Phoebe's confused look from earlier returned. "Um, I don't know."

Carlos's grin didn't abate. If anything, it got wider. "Well then how bout joining me for the evening?"

Phoebe immediately turned crimson and felt her entire body become warm. "Um…uh..what?"

To his credit, Carlos didn't laugh at her sudden inability to form coherent sentences. "Like I said, do you want to go out with me Saturday night?" The directness of the request finally started to break Carlos's bravado, and his voice went up a full octave as a result.

It wasn't apparent Phoebe had noticed Carlos's attack of nerves, as she still struggled to wrap her brain around it. "M-m-m-m…Me? Really? Why?" she finally stammered.

"Why not?" Carlos immediately countered.

"Because I'm me, and I'm not Dorothy Ann."

Now it was Carlos's turn to be taken aback. "Wh-wh-what does DA have anything to do with this? I'm asking you."

With that, Phoebe somehow found a darker shade of red to turn. "Oh, nothing! But really, why me?"

Carlos swallowed hard before finding a second wind of confidence. "Why not? You're the sweetest, kindest person I know. I would be honored to show you a good time."

Everything inside Phoebe was panicking and telling her to say no, but instead she found herself nodding. "OK, I'll go out with you."

Carlos grinned again. "Awesome. Pick you up at seven?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Phoebe croaked, having suddenly come down with a case of dry mouth.

With that, Carlos forced his rubbery legs to work and walked away. As he left, Keesha hurried back onto the scene, having watched it discreetly from behind a pole.

"What just happened?" Keesha asked before Phoebe could collect herself.

"I…I don't know," came the initial reply. "Carlos asked me out."

"And you said yes?"

"We're going out this Saturday." Phoebe's eyes bugged out in fear. "Oh my god, what have I done? I mean, I like Carlos, but I don't _like like_ him, and I thought he liked DA. Why is he asking me? I'm not as pretty as DA, or you, or even Wanda…"

Keesha put her hand up to stop the rambling. "Look, I don't know what Carlos's motives are either, and yeah, we all know he likes DA. However, maybe this is a good thing."

"How so?"

"Well, neither of you have ever been on a date before. Both of you like someone else, so there won't be the pressure to impress the person you actually like. I mean, it's Carlos. He's not worth impressing."

Phoebe tried to understand with her best friend was saying. "So, it's like a practice date?"

"Kind of, yeah."

"I guess that could work." Phoebe's eyes suddenly bugged out again. "Uh oh, I just remembered something."

"What?"

"My dad. I don't think he's going to take this well."

Keesha let out a small laugh. "That is something you're going to have to figure out yourself. As for Carlos, just relax and don't let him do anything too stupid."

"I'll try. Relaxing is not my strongest suit."

"Good." Keesha suddenly snapped her fingers. "Wait! I almost forgot something." She grabbed Phoebe by the shoulders. "Never ever say or imply you're not pretty again."

The dead seriousness of Keesha's face convinced Phoebe to say OK to that, even though she was far from convinced.

At the dinner table that evening, Mr. Terese could tell something was eating at his daughter. Her words seemed evasive and her tone distracted.

"Sweetheart, what's bothering you?"

"That obvious?" asked a nervous Phoebe.

"Yes. You know you can always talk to me."

"Well, I'm not sure you're going to like this."

"If it's trouble in school, best to tell me now before I get a call." Mr. Terese's voice was starting to get sterner. He usually had no complaints about Phoebe's behavior, but he knew high school was a different animal.

"N-n-no, I'm not in trouble or anything, it's just," Phoebe took a long pause, "I made plans on Saturday…with a boy."

Mr. Terese dropped his fork with a clatter. "A boy? Who? Is it someone I know?"

"Carlos. He asked me out and I said yes."

That calmed Mr. Terese down a little. "Well, at least it's someone you know well."

"I can go right, Daddy?"

"Yes," he said reluctantly. "However, you must be home by ten, and Carlos must come in here for a little chat before you leave. Tell him that tomorrow."

"I will, Daddy."

With that, the two finished dinner, but an unspoken tension hung in the air. Mr. Terese had been preparing himself for his little girl starting to date for a while, but he wasn't expecting it to start this soon. He hoped he'd have a little more time with her before he lost part of her to that world forever. Still, it was her life and Mr. Terese knew he couldn't be an ogre. He would just have to learn to start letting go a little.

At 6:55 Saturday night, Carlos's dad pulled up in front of Phoebe's house. His son had made it very clear that he could not be late. Carlos still wasn't sure who to be more nervous of: Phoebe, or her dad. At 6:56, he rang the doorbell. He was greeted by Mr. Terese, whose face was blank and giving off no emotion whatsoever.

"Sit down, Carlos. Phoebe will be down in a few minutes," Mr. Terese instructed. His voice was as emotionless as his expression. Carlos sat on the tiny sofa, while Mr. Terese sat in the chair. Carlos tried to look at the older man, but even through his dark glasses Carlos could feel Mr. Terese's icy stare. The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Mr. Terese spoke.

"Son, I don't want to scare you. I really don't. However, I fully expect you to act like a man this evening and treat Phoebe with full respect. Because, _as I'm sure you know_, she's a very special young lady, and if I hear later you were anything less than a perfect gentleman, I will be very disappointed. Do you understand?"

Carlos nodded before remembering Mr. Terese couldn't see that. "Yes, sir. I understand completely."

Mr. Terese smiled, but in a matter that only further unsettled Carlos. "Good. Bring her back by ten, and not a second later." His gaze finally left Carlos for a moment, as he turned towards a small table next to the sofa. "Son, is the phone on the jack?"

Carlos glanced over. "No, sir."

"OK, Phoebe must be on the phone, probably with Keesha. I'll go get her." Mr. Terese walked upstairs while Carlos tried to remember how to breathe normally again.

Phoebe in fact was on the phone with Keesha trying to obtain some last minute advice. This despite Keesha having already been over two hours prior helping Phoebe get ready.

"Just remember to breathe and not put a lot of pressure on this. It's just Carlos," Keesha said over the phone, her voice barely concealing her irritation at having to tell Phoebe this for the hundredth time in the last three days.

"OK, I'll try," Phoebe croaked out before hearing a knock on the door. "Eep!" she screamed before turning around to see her father. "Gotta go. Wish me luck," she told Keesha before hanging up the phone. "Hi Daddy," she said to her father.

"Phoebe, Carlos is downstairs. I don't think you should keep him waiting any longer."

"OK Daddy." She rushed up to give him a hug. "Thanks for being alright with this. I hope you didn't scare him too much."

Mr. Terese hugged back. "I don't think I did, but I hopefully cut into his cockiness a little bit. Have a great time, and be back by ten."

With that, Phoebe took one more at herself in the mirror, adjusted her blouse one final time, took a deep breath, and headed downstairs.

"Hey Carlos."

"Hey Pheebs." Carlos reached out his arm and gave one of his patented stupid grins. "Our chariot awaits."

Phoebe giggled and took his arm. As they left the house, Mr. Terese sighed wistfully.

Initially, Phoebe wasn't impressed with seeing Mr. Ramon in the driver's seat, but quickly realized that how else were they going to get anywhere? The two kids took up the back seats. As Mr. Ramon drove, they looked at each other, trying to figure out what to say.

"You look nice tonight, Pheebs," Carlos finally said.

Phoebe blushed. "Thank you, Carlos. You, uh, look good too."

Carlos grinned and looked down at his button down shirt and khakis. "I thought I always looked good."

Phoebe let out another nervous giggle. "You could say that."

From the driver's seat, Mr. Ramon tried to suppress a nervous smile of his own. He had also made it very clear to his son that he was to treat Phoebe with the utmost respect. He had also advised Carlos to try and not be so "on" the whole time. "We're here," Mr. Ramon said. He had parked at the classiest restaurant Carlos could afford with the money borrowed from his parents: Applebee's.

As Carlos unbuckled and went to open his door, he saw Phoebe doing the same. He put up his hand to stop her. "Wait there." A confused Phoebe waited as Carlos walked around the car and opened her door. "A gentleman always opens a door for a lady," he explained with gusto. He reached his hand out, but Phoebe blushed and wordlessly declined.

"I'll be back here at nine," Mr. Ramon called out.

"OK, thanks Dad!" yelled back Carlos.

"Yes, thanks Mr. Ramon," added Phoebe at a much quieter volume. Mr. Ramon drove off as the kids headed into the restaurant. Once seated, the two stared at each other. Not into each others eyes, but rather the stare of two people who at that moment realized they had no idea what they were doing.

Carlos eventually snapped out of it and tried to break the ice. "Uh, sorry this isn't the nicest place to go."

"No, it's fine. I don't get to go out to eat a lot, so anytime I do, it's a special thing."

_OK Carlos, one conversation topic down. Figure out another one. _"Still volunteering at the animal shelter?"

Phoebe smiled and nodded. "Twice a week, usually once during the week and again Saturday. It's…I love it. I don't know how else to put it. I just wish we could get people to adopt more. How bout you, Carlos? Could you guys use another dog?"

Carlos shook his head. "Checo is enough for us," he said, referring to his German Shepherd with the unorthodox Mexican name. "Why don't you adopt one?" he asked. "It's a little weird you don't have a pet given how much you love animals."

Phoebe looked down and Carlos immediately knew he screwed up. "I would if I could. We can't afford it though."

"I'm sorry, I…" Carlos trailed off. _Smooth move, ex-lax._

At that moment, their waitress arrived with their drink orders (Coke for Carlos, water for Phoebe). "Are you both ready to order?" she asked.

"Oh crap!" Carlos exclaimed. Both had forgotten to actually look at the menus. Sensing the waitress's impatience, he quickly flipped through. "OK, I'm ready. I'll have the sirloin, medium rare, and the lady will have…"

"Don't you dare order for me!" Phoebe snapped, looking up from the menu to give Carlos a look of sheer disgust. She noticed that the waitress was noticeably uncomfortable. "Sorry. Um, is there anything vegetarian on here?"

The already uncomfortable waitress became even more nervous. "Uh, not really. You could order the grilled chicken salad without the chicken," she gently suggested.

Phoebe tried to conceal her disappointment. "OK, that's fine."

As the waitress left, Carlos resisted the urge to slap his forehead. _Ugh, you idiot. How could you forget she's a vegetarian?_ Out loud, he said, "Sorry about that. I wasn't thinking."

"It's OK," Phoebe responded flatly. After an awkward pause, she continued. "So, um, how was soccer this year?"

Carlos smiled and relaxed, happy to move the conversation to his favorite topic. "Great! I moved up to varsity half way through the season. Didn't score, but that'll come." He winked. "You would've known that had you gone to any of my games."

This time it was Phoebe's turn to be apologetic. "Sorry. They overlapped with Keesha's games a lot."

"It's cool. I mean, varsity is bigger than JV, but you two are the Twins after all. She didn't follow us here, did she?" Internally, Carlos recalled the threats from Keesha the other day. ("Make her cry and I will torture you slowly and painfully.")

Phoebe shook her head, and another silence fell on them before Phoebe came up with a new topic. "How's Mikey?"

"Running middle school and thus carrying on the Ramon tradition," replied a confident Carlos. That confidence quickly shattered once he realized he had no idea what to say anymore, and he could guess that his ever quiet companion was in the same boat.

The two sat, each moment filled with more awkward agony than the last, until the waitress returned with their food. The two still didn't know what to say, but at least they could distract themselves with the contents of their plates.

Phoebe picked at her limp and uninspired salad. Carlos looked up from his overdone steak and realized he had screwed up yet again. _When I was a kid, Applebee's was awesome. What happened?_

Still, the two ate slowly, because even eating mediocre food meant they didn't have to talk. Eventually Phoebe got tired of it, and finally summoned up all the courage to ask the question that had been on her mind for days.

"Carlos, why did you ask me out?"

If Carlos was surprised at the question, his expression didn't show it. "Why not? Have some confidence in yourself, Pheebolino."

As she usually did when complimented, Phoebe blushed. "Because we all know you like DA."

"Whether that's true or not, I didn't ask her. I asked you. I'm not spending this evening with DA, as lovely as she is. I'm spending the evening with the lovely lady sitting across from me, the kindest, gentlest person I know. She's pretty cute too." As Carlos continued, his trademark grin returned, even as, and maybe especially because, Phoebe responded to the flattery by sinking further and further down in her seat.

"Does this mean you like me?" Phoebe asked in a low, soft, scared voice.

Carlos sighed. "I didn't know. That's why I asked you out. I wanted to find out. Boy was that a terrible idea." He forced himself to chuckle.

"How so?" Phoebe picked herself back up and eyed Carlos warily.

"Oh, not that I regret it!" the Latino boy quickly clarified. "It's just that I've been screwing things up all night. I think the universe is telling me this was stupid."

Phoebe gave him a reassuring smile. "You didn't screw things up. Well, not a lot of stuff anyway. You tried your best." Carlos's grin came back at those words, but Phoebe wasn't done. "That said, I don't think we have the chemistry for this dating thing." Phoebe almost sounded pained as she spat out that last sentence.

Carlos's expression turned serious and he took a moment to think before replying. "Yeah, I agree. It did feel a little bit like dating my sister. You know, if I had one." The two scanned each others faces, each afraid of hurting the other. Satisfied that he wasn't going to have to deal with a crying mess, Carlos continued. "Do you want to go home now? I can ask for the check now."

To his surprise, Phoebe shook her head. "Can we get some dessert? I need something else other than that crappy salad."

"But of course, milady," Carlos responded in an over-the-top English accent, earning himself a giggle from his date.

At 9:30 Carlos walked Phoebe to her front door, relieved it was early enough that her dad wouldn't kill him, and that neither of them had spilled anything on themselves during the evening.

"Thanks Carlos. I had a good time." Phoebe kissed him on the cheek. "Don't get any ideas," she quickly added.

"I wouldn't dare," Carlos replied. "I'm glad you had a good time. Friends?" He stuck out his hand.

"Friends," Phoebe grabbed his hand and they shook. She turned towards her door. "See you tomorrow."

Carlos raised an eyebrow. "Tomorrow?"

Phoebe frowned. "Did you forget?"

"Forget what?"

"Keesha's birthday. It's tomorrow." Phoebe sighed. "Be at her house at 3:00," she commanded. "Oh, and bring Checo. We need another dog around to keep Jake occupied." She opened her door. "Night Carlos."

As Carlos walked back to his dad's car, he made a mental note to call the rest of the guys in the morning to make sure their gift to Keesha was communal.

* * *

While the rest of the gang was to arrive at Keesha's house at three, Phoebe arrived at one. This was both so she could help set up, and so she could tell Keesha the details of the date. Not surprisingly, the latter took priority.

As soon as Phoebe entered the house, Keesha was there. "Tell me every detail." She paused. "Well, if it went _really_ well, leave some details out."

"There isn't much to tell. It wasn't bad, but we both decided we don't work…that way."

Keesha scoffed. "C'mon Pheebs, you can do better than that."

Phoebe let out a weary sigh. "Do I have too?"

"We're not setting up the party until you spill."

Reluctantly, Phoebe recounted her evening. Keesha listened impassively before concluded, "Yeah, you're right. Not anything great, but not a disaster, which with Carlos feels like a plus."

"Well, I did have to remind him of your birthday."

"Oh, that bastard's going to pay now."

Phoebe laughed. "Let it go, Keesh. Well, as long as he brings Checo, let it go." As if he knew they were talking about another dog, Jake started barking in excitement. Phoebe bent down and rubbed his stomach.

Keesha couldn't help but smile. "Fine. Let's get this place decorated before the others come and destroy it."

_Two hours later…_

The rest of the gang and the other guests had already arrived. Carlos, however, prided himself on making a grand entrance, and thus he rang the doorbell at precisely 3:15.

Keesha opened the door. "About time you made it." She noticed Checo beside Carlos. "Take him out back."

Once Carlos joined the rest of the group, Phoebe clapped her hands. "OK, now that's everyone's here, we can start the party…"

"Uh nuh!" Ralphie interrupted. "First, we need to know what happened on this little date you and Carlos had last night."

"No we don't!" Wanda yelled. "No one's wants to know about Phoebe's love life. It's just gross." At that comment, Phoebe hid behind Keesha, who was glaring at Wanda.

"Oh yes, we do," Tim countered with a devilish grin. He turned to Phoebe. "Did lover boy do anything stupid?"

Phoebe knew this interrogation was coming, but that didn't stop her from being visibly uncomfortable. Luckily for her, Carlos spoke first.

"Tim, you have no faith in me. I was a perfect gentleman. Right, Pheebs? No major mistakes."

"Except for taking me to a restaurant without any vegetarian options, yes."

Ralphie wasted no time in slapping Carlos across the head. "Idiot! What were you thinking?" Before Carlos could defend himself, Wanda injected herself back into the conversation.

"OK, that's enough! Clearly nothing happened. Phoebe would be dead of embarrassment by now if it had."

The gang looked at each other, realized Wanda was right, and without a fuss started the party. At one point, Carlos and Phoebe quietly got together and vowed not to give them any more ammo. They kept that vow, even if it took a month for everyone not named Wanda to stop asking.

* * *

As tradition dictated, Keesha and Phoebe got together every Christmas evening after family time to open presents, alternating which house each year. This year it was Phoebe's turn. Technically, the rest of the gang was invited, but the others had bigger families and none of them were particularly enthused with being a third wheel during "Twin Time," as Tim coined it. Phoebe paced her room excitedly. Her uncle, her dad's brother, had come for the holiday, and while she loved spending time with them, she was ready to see her best friend.

Keesha entered Phoebe's room carrying a surprisingly large package and munching on a cookie.

"Another great job on the cookies this year, Pheebs. Snicker doodles were an inspired choice." Keesha put down the package, and the two embraced. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas. How did it go at home?"

Keesha smiled. "My dad actually showed up, and all the adults were civil."

Phoebe smiled back. "That's great! I'm so glad things have gotten better with your family."

Keesha's grin got wider. Things were far from perfect between her and her parents since that talk with her father last year, but they were getting better. The schedule was for her father to visit every other Saturday, and he had yet to miss one.

"OK, who wants to start?" Keesha asked, referring to the gift giving.

"Hmmm, I will," declared Phoebe, handing the dark haired girl her present.

"This looks familiar," Keesha said with a laugh as she opened the gift to reveal a green scarf. She had come in wearing the one Phoebe gave her three years ago.

"Well, that one is starting to show wear, and I'm much better at knitting than I was three years ago," Phoebe explained. "I would've made it a different color, but green is your favorite after all."

"It's wonderful Pheebs, thank you, and thank you for the matching hat."

"Welcome, and of course," Phoebe reached over and grabbed a plate of snicker doodles. "Your annual plate of cookies. Try to leave some for your mom and grandma this time."

"Thanks." Keesha peeled off the cellophane in order to eat one. Her best friend was nothing if not predictable. Every year she gave Keesha a plate of cookies she baked and something she made herself. Keesha wouldn't have it any other way, knowing the time and effort and thought Phoebe put in to them. Keesha only wished she had the skills herself to do the same.

"OK, your turn," said Keesha, handing Phoebe the big package. The auburn haired girl eyed it nervously. She opened it to reveal a saxophone.

Phoebe gasped. She had played the sax in elementary school using a hand-me-down. In fifth grade though, she dropped it and the instrument was deemed unrepairable. At the time, she told her father she didn't want to play the sax anymore and thus didn't want a replacement. Six months ago however, she confessed to Keesha that she had lied. She still wanted to play, but figured her father couldn't afford a new one, so she said she didn't want to play anymore to save him the embarrassment of saying no.

"Keesh…I…I don't know what to say," Phoebe stammered. "I don't know if I can take this."

"Of course you can. It's a gift," Keesha countered. "And it's a used sax, so don't freak about how much it cost. I got you some extra reeds too, so don't worry about that."

"But...I don't want to be in band. All those people looking at me…" Phoebe blanched, her stage freight as prevalent as ever.

"Who says you have to? You can play for fun. Although back in elementary school, you were pretty good, so with some practice I'm sure you could be in the band if you wanted."

"But…but…I never told Daddy I lied." Phoebe hung her head in shame.

Keesha moved in closer and put an arm around Phoebe. "Don't get mad, but I actually talked to your dad about this." Phoebe quickly turned her head, her eyes shrinking down to angry slits. Keesha held onto her tighter. "Whoa, relax. I didn't want to give you the sax and surprise him. He's not mad at you, I swear. In fact, he told me he'd love to hear you play again."

Upon hearing that, Phoebe's eyes softened. "Really?" she asked in a soft voice. "I did miss playing."

Keesha nodded. "You bet. I'm sorry I went behind your back, but I felt it was the best thing to do."

Phoebe reached out to hug her best friend. "It's OK, and thank you. It's wonderful." She stood up and headed to her closet. "I think I still have some of my old sheet music, and I think the library has some less kiddie stuff." Her voice grew more excited as she planned things out. "Ah hah! Found them!" She turned back to Keesha. "Do you think Daddy and Uncle Dave would want to hear me play something now?"

"I think they would love it."

It was a little rusty, and "Mary Had a Little Lamb" isn't normally what a fourteen year old would play, but the two Mr. Tereses loved it all the same.

* * *

Keesha knew it was wrong to be jealous that Phoebe had a date before she did, but she couldn't help herself. She would hurt anyone that insinuated that her best friend wasn't anything but pretty, but still. Phoebe was gangly and clumsy, and compared to Keesha was clearly less physically developed at this point. A part of Keesha, an ugly jealous part, just couldn't figure out how it worked out the way it did. Luckily for Keesha, she didn't have to wait too long for it to be her turn.

It was mid-February, and Keesha was packing up to leave for the day. For once, Phoebe wasn't with her, as she was headed to the animal shelter to help plan their semi-annual fundraiser. Keesha was so engrossed in the contents of her locker that she didn't notice Ralphie looming over.

"Wha-what are you doing?!" Keesha yelped once she noticed the hulking athlete. "Say something if you're going to approach like that."

"S-s-s-s..sorry Keesh," spat out a stricken Ralphie. His embarrassment caused him to clam up, leaving the two of them standing there in mutual awkwardness.

"Do you need something Ralphie?" Keesha finally asked. Her brain was irritated at his interruption, but her stomach was flipping wildly because of _who_ it was.

"Oh yeah, yes I do," Ralphie's voice cracked. "Well, there's something I want to ask you." He stopped talking again, causing Keesha to move her hand in the universal "get on with it" gesture.

Ralphie took a deep breath. He had never felt this nervous before. "Would you like to go out with me this Friday?"

Upon hearing that, Keesha wanted nothing more than to jump up and down and yell yes at the top of her lungs. She knew to keep it cool though, so she took a second to pretend to think about it before saying, "Yes. That would be nice."

Ralphie grinned. "Awesome! Friday at 6 then?"

Keesha nodded. "Sounds good."

Ralphie thought he had waited until he was out of sight to pump his fist in triumph. He hadn't quite made around the corner though, and Keesha laughed when she saw it. She took a deep breath, trying to quell a sudden attack of nerves. Her mind raced in amazement that Ralphie – Ralphie! – had asked her out. Later that night, she was able to call Phoebe and finally tell her the good news. The squeal of delight was so loud from the other end of the phone that Keesha had to back off before she suffered hearing loss.

At 5:55 Friday evening, Ralphie knocked on the door of the Franklin condo. To his relief, he didn't have to deal with Keesha's father, but her mother (who made damn sure not to be working late this night) and grandmother were at home, and neither looked particularly welcoming.

"Good evening, Mrs. Franklin. Um, both Mrs. Franklins," Ralphie offered.

"Ralphie," Keesha's mother replied in perfect monotone. The three sat in silence for a moment before Keesha emerged. She was wearing a green blouse with dressy pants, and for once was allowed to wear a little bit of makeup in the form of mascara and lip gloss. Ralphie, for his part, had dressed up for the occasion as well, with a button-down and slacks. Of course, this being Ralphie, he still had on his red cap and a pair of sneakers.

"Hey Keesha. You look great," Ralphie said in a shaky voice.

"Thanks Ralphie. You too," Keesha replied, voice equally shaky.

"He could have stood to leave the cap at home and put on nice shoes," Keesha's mother snarked.

"Sheila, please," admonished the elder Mrs. Franklin. "Have a great time, Keesha. Ralphie, treat her well and have her back by 10."

Ralphie nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

The two exited the house, the two Mrs. Franklins watching them every step of the way through the window outside. Ten minutes later, Phoebe, DA, and Wanda emerged from Keesha's room, having spent the afternoon either helping her get ready (DA and Wanda) or providing moral support (Phoebe). The adults eyed them warily before telling them to go home.

Their first stop (via Dr. Tennelli's Suburu) was the movie theater in downtown Walkerville for the 6:15 showing of _Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon_.

"Thanks for not insisting on _The Wedding Planner_," Ralphie said with gratitude.

"Welcome. That movie is more something Phoebe or Wanda would pick. This seems much cooler," Keesha replied.

Over the past few days, Ralphie had debated internally whether to try and hold Keesha's hand during the movie. Even he knew not to try the old "yawn and put your arm around the girl" move, but hand holding? He might be able to get away with that. The problem was he ended up getting too engrossed in the movie to remember to make his move. He occasionally glanced over at Keesha, but she also seemed completely into the picture. Something inside Ralphie told him not to mess with that. He would have his chances later in the evening.

After the movie, the two walked a few blocks to Sullivan Street to what Ralphie called "the best Italian restaurant in town." He proudly told the hostess he had an 8:30 reservation for "Tennelli, party of two." He had never felt more grown up.

They sat down in one of the booths. For a moment, there was silence, as they both realized they would have to actually talk now.

"Um…good movie, right?" Ralphie asked. _Good start genius._

Keesha gave him a nervous smile. "Yeah, unlike any movie I've ever seen. So that's what the adults have been holding out from us." As Ralphie laughed at that comment, Keesha perused the menu. "What's good here?"

"Just about everything, but Mr. Cacciatore is best known for his pizza. Well, that and his martinis, but that's out of the question right now. What do you think? Pizza work for dinner?"

"Pizza always works," replied Keesha. "Too bad it'll be another six years before we can try the martini," she added with a wry smirk.

"Yeah. Plus another year until we can drive. I mean, I appreciate Ma driving us here, but…"

"I hear you. At least she kept the teasing to a minimum."

For the next hour, the two shared a large pepperoni pizza and just talked about whatever came to mind. They talked about their various athletic exploits. They bemoaned the Ravens, who of course used to be the Browns, winning the Super Bowl while the new Browns remained a garbage expansion team. They, as teenagers do, gossiped a little about their friends and enemies alike. Both knew this was different. This wasn't like the awkward date Carlos and Phoebe had, or even the time last year when Arnold tried to take Wanda on a "real" date that wasn't just a make out session.

Following dinner, Ralphie and Keesha took a short walk around downtown before finding a bench to sit while they waited for Dr. Tennelli.

"I've had a really good time tonight, Ralphie. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm…" Ralphie rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm really glad." More rubbing. "Um, can I admit something?"

Keesha gave him a side eye, wondering if this meant he had an ulterior motive for tonight. "Sure."

"OK. Well, um, I've been wanting to ask you out for a while now. I couldn't in the fall though because I was playing football and you had field hockey. I knew I couldn't in the spring because I have baseball coming up. It took me a while to get the nerve, but hey, I finally did it." He grinned his normal goofy grin.

Keesha grinned right back. "Well, I'm glad you did, because I'm having a great time, and well, I have wanted you to ask me out for a while now too."

The two sat there for a moment, not sure how to proceed and both afraid of screwing things up. Finally, Ralphie's teenage brain and teenage hormones took over and he went for it. Next thing Keesha knew, her date was leaning in to kiss her, and all she wanted to do was meet his lips. She couldn't believe it, her first kiss and it was with the person she most wanted it to be with. It was a little sloppy and a little awkward, but they'd get better at it. It took all of Keesha's restraint not to go further, but they were in public after all and Ralphie's mother would be there any minute.

It was the perfect crescendo to a perfect night. Or at least it was until the two tried to separate and realized they couldn't.

"Mhmmm Mhmmm Mhmm!" grunted a panicked Keesha as she realized their braces had stuck together.

"Mhmmm Mhmmm Mhmmm!" growled an equally desperate Ralphie.

Luckily for both of them, they were soon found by Dr. Tennelli. She shook her head but said nothing as she freed the teens from each other. Despite the mishap, when Ralphie called Keesha the next day to ask her out again, she enthusiastically agreed.

* * *

"Ta-da!" called Keesha as she made her dramatic entrance. After two years of uncomfortableness, her braces had finally come off.

"You look great!" cried out a just as excited Phoebe. This time around she was the only one invited to the reveal. Keesha had learned her lesson from last time.

"Thanks!" Keesha felt great as well. Things were progressing nicely with Ralphie. That first date had turned into another, and another, and soon enough, they became a couple. Seeing each other had proven difficult once he started baseball, but otherwise Keesha couldn't complain. Her crush of so many years was her first boyfriend!

That wasn't the only love connection among the gang these days. That spring, Carlos and DA had finally given in to years of flirting and what passed for innuendo at their age and got together. It didn't stop their arguments, but so far things hadn't imploded.

Going into sophomore year, Keesha felt pretty good. She had her boyfriend and the rest of her tight group. Things were better with her family. It wasn't great, but her parents were getting along as well as they ever have since the divorce. Her field hockey skills continued to improve to the point that she expected to make varsity this year. Even better, her and her friends weren't freshmen anymore. This fall there would be new fresh meat for the upperclassmen to torment.

"So, I'm presentable enough to invite the other girls here?" Keesha asked. "I want it to rub it in Wanda's face after all the crap she gave me when I got the braces." Phoebe gave her a look like she didn't approve of the sentiment, but nonetheless nodded.

Keesha looked in the mirror and broke out her widest smile, allowing her to see her newly straightened teeth. _This school year is going to be awesome_, she thought.

* * *

**A/N: **At my high school, the track surrounded the football field, and during games, the students would walk around and hang out on the track instead of watching the game, just as described here.

Wanda not wanting to hear about Phoebe's dating life is borrowed from a suggestion from quirky cricket in the forums.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Wedding Planner were among the top movies in February 2001.

Remember, Walkerville in this fic is a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, which means they all like Cleveland sports. Thus, they're destined for decades of sporting heartbreak.

Yes, Mr. Cacciatore's on Sullivan Street is a reference to the Billy Joel song "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)."

Braces locking is mostly a myth apparently, but it was too fun to pass up.

Up next: Sophomore year. Will it be as awesome as Keesha thinks it will be?


	5. High School (Part Two)

**A/N:** As you can see, the story now has a cover. It is a screen cap from I believe _Spins A Web_. It's not my first choice, but it's the only K/P screen cap I could really find, and I don't have the skills to make my own.

* * *

It was the first week of the new school year and with it still being mid-August, the day was blistering hot. Still, five members of gang were braving the heat and humidity in support of one of their own. It was Keesha's first game as a varsity field hockey player. Before the game started, she looked up, saw her friends in the stands, and smiled. Ralphie and Carlos had football practice and an away soccer game respectively, but the others were all here.

That said, for Arnold, DA, Tim, and Wanda, they didn't necessarily _want_ to be there. Sitting outside in the heat on aluminum bleachers was no one's idea of a good time, and field hockey was far from the most exciting sport. Irritating them further was the fact that the one person they counted out to actually pay attention hadn't taken her nose out of the book she was reading since the minute they sat down.

"Earth to Pheebs. World's out here," Tim snarked. "Even DA isn't reading a book right now." The blonde girl gave Tim a stink eye for that comment.

"Keesha said I could read books during her games," Phoebe said flatly without looking up. "And this book is important."

Hearing that, Wanda reached around Tim and snatched the book away from Phoebe. "Hey!" she yelled. "Give that back!"

Wanda, of course, paid no heed to the demand. "_The Feminine Mystique_? What the hell, Pheebs? Is this a sex book?"

"No!" blurted out an embarrassed Phoebe. "It's about how women in the 60s were unhappy because society forced them to be housewives."

"And you're reading that why?" asked a wary Tim.

Phoebe frowned. "Oh, you wouldn't understand! Men don't have to deal with this kind of stuff."

"But Pheebs," Arnold interrupted. "Things are much better for women than the 60s, right? That was 40 years ago."

"Maybe so, but women still aren't equal in the workplace to men. The glass ceiling is still a problem!" Phoebe's eyes shrunk as she looked at Arnold. "And you wouldn't have interrupted a man like that, would you?"

"Um..uh.." Arnold stuttered, not sure if anything he could say would help the situation. Phoebe was about to continue her rant, but stopped when she noticed the action on the field. Keesha had the ball near the goal and took a shot mid-stride. The ball went past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

Those in the stands collectively stood up and cheered, with Phoebe adding her own panache. "Yeah Keesh! Do it for the sisterhood!" The rest of the gang, and some of the others watching, looked at her oddly. Phoebe blushed and sat back down.

Wanda handed Phoebe back the book. "If this is going to make you say weird shit, keep reading." For Wanda, the conversation was over. Arnold, DA, and Tim, however, looked at each other and their auburn haired friend with concern, each suspecting this would not end well.

* * *

Their fears would turn out to be correct. Over the next few days, Phoebe became shorter and shorter tempered with the guys, and more and more willing to lecture the whole group over feminism. Carlos, in particular, wasn't happy when she said his mother was wrong for being a stay-at-home mom. One weekend, the gang met secretly at Ralphie's house unbeknownst to Phoebe.

"OK, what are we going to do about Phoebe?" Ralphie asked. "She's turned into a crazy person."

"She's not crazy," Keesha quickly responded, giving her boyfriend a look. "This is what Phoebe does. She gets really passionate for a while, then eventually cools off the obsession. We just need to wait this out."

"But, she's being…mean," Carlos argued, still in complete bewilderment.

"Yeah, Keesh. Stop defending your girlfriend. She's being a bitch," Wanda added with typical bluntness.

"I have to agree. It's…not like her," said Arnold in a forlorn voice.

Dorothy Ann stepped in from there. "Alright, we've established the problem. What do we do to fix it?"

The gang paused as they thought about what to do. Finally, Tim snapped his fingers. "I've think I've got something." As the other six leaned in to listen, he continued. "First, we get the librarian to talk to Phoebe. She probably recommended that book, and she might be the one person Pheebs will listen to. DA, you can do that since you basically live in the library." DA nodded at first, then glared at Tim for the perceived insult.

"Makes sense," Carlos interrupted. "It's clear at this point she's not going to listen to anything a guy says."

"Well, there is one thing a guy could say that she might listen to," Tim continued. He turned his gaze straight at Arnold. "If a certain glasses wearing ginger would grow a pair and ask Phoebe out, it might snap her out of it."

Arnold's face turned as red as his hair. "Wh…what makes you say that?"

"Well, she's liked you forever, and it's been obvious for a while you like her," Tim explained. "Hell, you're sadder about Phoebe's turn to the insane than Carlos, and she insulted his mother."

Arnold took a moment to do some serious thinking. "OK, I'll do it, but only after the librarian talks to her. Before that it'll be like walking into a slaughter."

"There you go, Arn! Maybe you and Pheebs will become a couple," Carlos encouraged. "The sex is great!" he added with a wink.

DA smacked him on the head. "We are not having sex, you jackass!"

Tim shook his head. "Fight later, you two."

"So, you think this plan can get Beanpole to stop being a crazy feminist?" Wanda inquired to get back on topic.

Before Tim could respond, Keesha jumped in. "Phoebe is Phoebe. When she believes in something, she really believes in it. That isn't going to change. We're just trying to get her to return to reality."

Tim nodded. "Exactly."

A deep in thought Ralphie finally spoke again. "Guys, do you realize that we're having our first intervention, and it's for Phoebe of all people?"

"It is surprising," agreed Keesha. "I always assumed the first would be for Wanda."

"Yeah. Hey!" Wanda threw a pillow at Keesha.

That Tuesday afternoon, Phoebe headed to the school library per her usual routine. Ms. Albert, the librarian, noticed her and waved her over.

Phoebe gave the librarian a smile. "Hi, Ms. Albert. What's up?"

"Hello Phoebe. I hear you enjoyed _The Feminine Mystique_."

The auburn haired girl nodded. "Yes. I learned a lot."

"That's great to hear, but how are you applying what you learned?"

Phoebe looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, there are ways to fight for equality, and there are ways not to. Lecturing your friends and insulting their choices isn't it."

Phoebe instantly blushed as she mentally reviewed her recent behavior. She sighed. "I've been awful, haven't I?"

Ms. Albert gave her a sympathetic look. "Passion is good, necessary even. However, it must be channeled correctly. I've seen your friends. I don't think they're sexist. I think they're teenage boys, and believe me, I've seen much worse come through this school. Give them a break. Do you understand?"

Phoebe nodded. "I owe them an apology."

Ms. Albert smiled. "You're a good kid, Phoebe. Here, I have some other books that might help you. Give them some thought."

Phoebe smiled back. "Thanks."

The next day Phoebe arrived at school carrying a plate of cupcakes as a peace offering. She found the rest of the gang hanging off the main hallway.

"Hey guys," she said sheepishly. The conversations within the group immediately stopped and the other seven stared at her.

"Pheebs," responded Tim with no emotion in his voice.

Phoebe took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for how I've been acting. Feminism and equality are very important to me, but that's no excuse to jump down your throats like that." She brought the cupcakes closer to eye level. "I made these for you all. Forgive me?"

Wanda couldn't resist the opening. "I don't know. Baking cupcakes seems very domestic, Pheebs. Not very feminist."

"Feminism is about choice. I chose to bake these. Speaking of which." Phoebe grabbed the cupcake with the most icing and handed it to Carlos. "I'm so sorry for what I said about your mom. Staying at home was her choice too, and I had no right to criticize that."

Carlos happily grabbed the cupcake. "Apology accepted, Pheebolino." He quickly wolfed down the apologetic confectionery. The rest of the group followed suit. Phoebe looked on, still a little nervous.

Ralphie finally let her off the hook. "Yes, we all forgive you Pheebs. You've earned some credit over the years that we'll let it go. Just don't do it again." He tried to wink at her, but failed, not realizing until that moment he didn't know how.

Phoebe breathed a huge sigh of relief. "I won't."

* * *

The morning had been exciting enough for Phoebe, but what happened that afternoon would take it to a different level. She was chatting with Keesha at the end of the day before the latter headed to practice when Arnold approached. Keesha noticed him first and gave him a discrete thumbs up before pointing his presence out to Phoebe and leaving for practice.

"Hey Arnold," started a suddenly nervous Phoebe. "What's up?"

Arnold swallowed hard. "I wanted to say it was cool for you to apologize to every other like that."

Phoebe blushed, as she inherently did whenever complimented. "Thanks. You guys deserved better. Unlike the other boys, you four aren't undressing us in your minds all the time."

Arnold inwardly winced, but decided not to shake her out of her naive bliss on this one. He took another deep swallow. "Hey, um…uh…"

"Yes?"

"Would you like to go out with me this Saturday?" Arnold finally blurted out.

The resulting squeal of delight stopped many milling in the halls in their tracks, but neither Phoebe nor Arnold seemed to notice.

* * *

If nothing else, Arnold knew how to present himself. He had the right answer for each of Phoebe's father's questions during his interrogation. He had the right bouquet of flowers (lilies) to give to Phoebe at her door. He took her to the right restaurant, a cute downtown bistro that was nice but not so expensive to make Phoebe feel self conscious, and with plenty of vegetarian options.

As expected, both were nervous. The two had pined for each other from afar for so long that to finally go on a date didn't seem real. The awkwardness manifested itself in blushing and shy smiles. Despite that, their mutual attraction shown through, and slowly they forgot about being nervous and began to enjoy each others company. It was going so well that Phoebe forgot to be embarrassed when she nearly tripped into a fountain in downtown Walkerville. Arnold was in perfect position to catch her.

"Thanks Arn."

"Anytime Pheebs." He pulled her up, but still hadn't let go.

"Um, this is nice," Phoebe blushed and started to look around, hoping no one had noticed them.

"Yeah." Arnold was solely focused at Phoebe's eyes. She finally stopped looking around and met his gaze.

In future tellings of the story, neither Arnold nor Phoebe could remember for sure who went in for the kiss first. What they were sure of is that in that moment their lips met and it was everything they had dreamed of. Nothing to that point of their lives felt more right.

* * *

It was Homecoming night, and Ralphie led Keesha to the famed make out stairwell. Normally on a big night like this, the stairwell would be seniors only territory. However, Ralphie was riding high thanks to forcing the fumble that sealed Walkerville High's victory in the big football game the night before. Thus, he had temporarily prestige most sophomores didn't get, and like any normal teenage boy, he was going to use them to get it on with his girlfriend.

After about fifteen minutes though, a senior couple came by to interrupt them. Big Man on Campus privileges revoked, Ralphie and Keesha decided to "get some air" outside the front steps of the school. Keesha sat down on the front steps and took a look up at the moon.

"Great night, huh?" Ralphie asked.

"Yeah," Keesha replied. "You're the man of the hour, and I'm just your arm candy."

"Um, well, that's not what I meant."

Keesha laughed. "Relax. I'm messing with you. Enjoy it. You've earned it." She looked back up at the sky. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah, and to think we went up there once."

"Seriously. Thank you Miss Frizzle, wherever you are." None of the gang had seen the Friz since their final day of elementary school, and there had been no sign of her since then either. Suddenly a gust of autumn wind kicked up, causing Keesha to shiver. Ralphie, however, was prepared, draping his letter jacket (something the football players could get away with on this ostensibly formal occasion) around her.

Keesha gave him a grateful look. "Thanks."

Ralphie grinned. "Welcome. In fact, um, I kind of want you to have it."

"That's sweet, but I did earn one of these on my own, you know." Keesha's voice and expression indicated teasing, not malice.

"I know, but still. It's a traditional thing. Ma still has her high school boyfriend's letter jacket." Ralphie blushed at the last part, realizing too late his mother probably wouldn't want him telling people that.

"Well, in that case, I accept. Thank you." Keesha grabbed Ralphie's cheeks. "Now, where were we?"

The two resumed their make out session on the steps. They were quickly interrupted again, this time by Carlos and DA, who were looking for their own private spot.

"Oh man! Already taken!" lamented Carlos. Luckily for him, DA suggested a spot near the library, and they quickly took their leave.

Keesha and Ralphie broke their kiss. "That probably won't be our last interruption," Keesha noted.

"Yeah," Ralphie agreed. "I guess we can go back to the dance." He stuck out his hand. "May I lead the way?"

Keesha laughed as she took his hand. "Yes, you may."

* * *

A rented out VFW hall may not have been the most glamorous venue for a Sweet Sixteen party, but it worked for Keesha. Her mother, grandmother, and best friend had done a fine job decorating the place, and well, the party was for her, so it was automatically awesome. At the moment, she was slow dancing with Ralphie, savoring being so close to him. From the corners of her eyes, she could see the other couples in the group. Arnold and Phoebe appeared lost in a world that only they were privy to. Carlos and Dorothy Ann seemed calm for once. At least they hadn't fought yet this evening. Then there was Tim and Janet, which, well no one had been able to explain that one.

The night had been surprisingly calm and collected, save for trying to make sure Wanda didn't spike any drinks. Keesha was glad for that, but her mind was already preparing for her next mission. There was an unspoken competition among the gang that all were aware of: the race to be the first to get their driver's license. The winner would immediately become the coolest member of the group, and to teenagers that possibility was irresistible. Realistically though, it was a three person race. Carlos and Tim had their birthdays in October, with Keesha's a month later. The others didn't turn 16 until after the new year: DA and Arnold in January, Ralphie in March, Phoebe in May, and Wanda bringing up the rear in July. Those five wouldn't get their permits in near enough time to win the unofficial contest. Thus, Keesha knew she had to just beat Carlos and Tim, which wouldn't be easy given they had a month head start. The party was Friday night. Tomorrow morning Keesha planned to be at the DMV when it opened to take her permit test.

The music stopped, taking Keesha out of her reverie. It was getting late and Wanda was starting to talk about some sort of keg party at a senior's house, so the party quickly dispersed. Other than Keesha's mother and grandmother, the only two who stayed to help clean up were Phoebe and Arnold.

"Thanks Pheebs," Keesha said as they began to take down streamers.

"Welcome," Phoebe replied. "But shouldn't Ralphie be here helping too?" she asked warily.

"He has a game tomorrow, remember, so he had to go home and rest up. At least that better be what he's doing. If he went to that party…"

"Relax dear," her grandmother reassured. "I saw Dr. Tennelli out there yelling at him to get in the car. He's not going anywhere else." She let out a chuckle.

Keesha smiled. "Good." She kept the sly grin as she looked at Arnold, who had been breaking down tables. "No party for you, Rock Boy?"

Arnold shook his head. "I'd rather spend some more time with this angel." Phoebe cooed and leaned in for a kiss.

_Note to self: Make sure Ralphie and I aren't anywhere near that cutesy_, Keesha thought. "Well, whatever the reason, thanks for staying and helping," she said out loud. "Can you go help my grandmother though?"

Arnold snapped off a quick salute and headed back across the room, leaving Keesha and Phoebe alone. "I see things are going well," stated Keesha.

Phoebe let out a big grin. "They really are. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Arnold's been so great that it was worth waiting as long as I did for him."

"That's great, Pheebs." Keesha was happy for her, but was a little disappointed that the new couple was spending so much time together. Planning the party had been the only thing Keesha and Phoebe had done together in a while.

Sensing something amiss, Phoebe changed the subject. "Ready for the permit test?"

Keesha gave off her typical cool, confident look. "Of course. I've already got it planned out. I'll have my 50 hours and be ready for the test before Carlos and Tim know what hit them."

Phoebe gave her a thumbs up. "I'm sure you will. Carlos distracts too easily to actually go practice, and Tim is somehow under Janet's spell." The auburn haired girl shuddered at the thought, still unable to figure what Tim saw in her tormentor.

"Bingo."

Their conversation was interrupted by Keesha's mother calling out "Arnold! Your parents are here!"

Arnold headed towards the girls. "I guess that's my cue to leave." He turned to Phoebe. "Want a ride home?"

Phoebe blushed and shook her head. "Um, no thanks. I'd like to spend some more time with the birthday girl."

"Fair enough," Arnold leaned in for another kiss. "Night." He nodded at Keesha. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks Arn," Keesha responded. After he left, she gave Phoebe an inquisitive look. "Thanks for staying, but you didn't have to. You could've gone with lover boy."

Phoebe looked down at her feet. "Um, I don't feel ready to meet his parents yet."

Keesha nodded, not particularly surprised. The Perlsteins were among the wealthiest families in Walkerville, such as that was in working class Central Ohio. Keesha knew that, plus the specter of Janet, still intimidated Phoebe.

"Has he been asking about it?" Keesha wondered.

Phoebe shook her head. "Not yet, but I can't imagine he's going to wait much longer." She took a deep breath. "Things have been going great so far. I don't want it to get complicated."

Keesha gave her a sympathetic look as they finished cleaning up. Her mother came up to the two girls. "OK, I think we've done everything we can here. Phoebe, I'll drive you home."

"Can she stay over tonight?" Keesha immediately countered. Phoebe's eyes lit up at the suggestion.

Mrs. Franklin was a little more skeptical. "Normally I'd say that's fine as long as Phoebe's dad is OK with it, but you have your permit test in the morning."

Keesha scoffed. "I got that no problem."

Mrs. Franklin didn't look any less skeptical, but figured if her daughter was wrong, the lesson would be learned. "OK, but if you're not up by 8 tomorrow, we're not going. Phoebe, we'll stop at your house for you to ask your father and grab your stuff."

As they left the hall, Phoebe whispered to Keesha. "What brought this on?"

"We're not hanging out enough. Plus, it's my birthday and I've decided I want you to spend the night as a present," was the reply.

Phoebe grinned and wrapped her arm about Keesha. "Good enough for me. Happy birthday."

* * *

It was late March and Keesha was on the top of the world. Tomorrow was her driver's test. She had cruised through her 50 hours in the dead of winter, so she was sure she would pass. There had been no indication Carlos or Tim had made it through their hours. Keesha was going to win the contest and vault right to the top of the heap of the gang. As she arrived to school that morning, she had the self-satisfied smirk of someone with everything figured out.

Then she heard the beeps coming from the student parking lot.

She turned her head towards the commotion to find Tim exiting the driver's seat of an almost rusted out Ford Mustang. Sure, the car was clearly old, appeared barely capable of running, and aesthetically looked worse than that, but it was a car, and Tim was driving it.

Keesha walked up to the car, which Tim was proudly showing the rest of the gang.

"Yep, I passed my driver's test last week. My dad gave me a car from his garage as a reward."

"It's a piece of shit," Wanda bluntly remarked.

Tim nodded his agreement, but was clearly unbothered by it. "Maybe so, but it's mine. This is just a temporary set of wheels before I get what I really want." He pulled down the sunglasses he was inexplicably wearing so his eyes showed again. "A motorcycle."

"Damn dude," said an impressed Ralphie.

"Yes. Well played sir," agreed Carlos. "So, who gets to ride in it with you first?"

At that moment, the passenger's side door opened and Janet climbed out. "Sorry dork, already claimed."

"So Janet, you stopped making out with Tim long enough for him to take his test?" Wanda asked.

"Who do you think was his inspiration?" Janet replied with a haughty laugh. She wrapped her arms around Tim's neck and they began to lip lock.

No longer able to take it, Keesha scoffed in disgust. "Must you two flaunt your weird ass relationship in front of everyone?"

Janet came up for air and scowled right back at Keesha. "Oh, you're just pissy you weren't the first to get their license. Sad for you," she said with her customary sarcasm and malice.

"Oh yeah," Arnold remembered. "Your test is tomorrow, isn't it Keesh?" Keesha nodded.

"Hey, you'll still beat the rest of us at least," DA said in reassurance.

"Yeah, you lucky bitch," added an annoyed Wanda. "I hate my stupid July birthday. You're all going to have licenses before I even _turn_ 16."

"No they won't Wan," sneered Janet. "Good 'ol Pheebs is too poor to afford a car, and who's crazy enough to teach her clumsy ass how to drive?"

Phoebe, who had been quiet this whole time, turned a deep crimson before turning on her heel and walking away. Keesha gave Janet a look of pure hatred before following Phoebe.

"And so go Walkerville High's most prominent lesbians," snarked Janet. That put an already pissed off gang over the edge and they all left Janet to her own devices, including Tim.

As they walked toward the building, Keesha put her arm about Phoebe. "You OK?"

"I'm sorry you weren't the first of us to get their license," was the reply.

Keesha nodded, understanding that meant Phoebe didn't want to talk about it, before realizing something. _Why didn't Arnold say anything or chase after Pheebs?_

* * *

"My parents asked about meeting you again," Arnold suddenly said. As usual when that was discussed, Phoebe adopted a classic deer in the headlights look. "What did you tell them?" she asked.

"I didn't tell them anything. There's not really anything to say." The two were on their usual Saturday night date at their usual bistro on this early April evening. Conversation had been lacking that night, and not for the first time recently.

"Why is that?" a suddenly annoyed Phoebe retorted.

"C'mon Pheebs! It's obvious we're in a rut here." Arnold sighed in exasperation.

He waited for Phoebe to say something, but all she could do was look at the table, so Arnold continued. "Here we are at the same place, having the same date, talking about the same problems. It's beyond old."

Phoebe's eyes were still locked on the table, which only frustrated Arnold more. "Do you have anything to say?"

At that, the auburn haired girl finally looked up at her boyfriend. "When Janet insulted me the other day, you didn't say anything. Why?" she asked in a low voice.

Now it was Arnold's turn to find the table fascinating. "I don't know. I know I should have. I'm sorry."

"Do you still like me?"

Arnold looked annoyed once more at that. "Of course I like you. You're one of my best friends." He instantly realized that was not the right thing to say.

"Exactly. Friends. But do you _like like_ me anymore?"

Arnold thought a moment. "I honestly don't know. I thought I did. I could ask the same about you, you know."

Phoebe nodded, although eye contact was still an issue. "I don't know. I want to be. The first few months were great…" She trailed off as her eyes began to moisten.

"Yeah," Arnold concurred. "I don't know what happened." He paused. "We just broke up, didn't we?"

"Take me home please," was Phoebe's barely audible response.

Without another word, Arnold paid the bill and walked Phoebe to her house. Still not knowing what to say, the two hugged before Phoebe opened her door. Ignoring her father's greeting, she headed straight for her room to sob into her pillow.

The next morning, Phoebe headed straight for Keesha's house. It was Keesha's grandmother that answered the knock on the door.

"Phoebe, you know you are always welcome here, but can this wait until after church?" Mrs. Franklin asked. Looking closer though, she noticed how distraught Phoebe was. "This is important isn't it?" Phoebe could only nod, and Mrs. Franklin turned her head towards her granddaughter's room.

Upon first hearing the knock, Keesha figured it was her mother telling her to hurry up before they were late. She was ready to open her mouth in protest when she saw a very sad looking Phoebe. "What happened? Is everything OK?"

"Arnold and I broke up last night."

"Oh shit. I'm so sorry Pheebs." Keesha held her arms out. Phoebe ran into them and cried again with tears she didn't know she still had.

A few minutes passed before Keesha broke the embrace. "If you want, I can have him killed. Ralphie could take him no problem."

Phoebe shook her head as she wiped her eyes. "No, we both decided to break up."

Keesha gave Phoebe another hug, only to be interrupted by her mother coming in. "Keesha, we have to go."

The African American girl sighed. "Sorry Pheebs."

"Take me with you," Phoebe pleaded.

"You're not dressed for church," Keesha replied, glancing over Phoebe's tank top and jeans. She had left the house shortly after she got up, barely remembering to tell her father where she was going.

Phoebe sighed. "OK."

Knowing something was wrong, if not the specifics, Keesha's mother had an idea. "Phoebe, you can stay here and watch Jake while we're gone. When we get back, you and Keesha can talk."

Phoebe smiled. "Thanks Mrs. Franklin."

* * *

Keesha beamed in delight a week ago when the Honda Civic appeared in her driveway, a late 16th birthday gift from her father. Wanda and Carlos teased her for it being an old person's car, but Keesha couldn't care less. She just had to point out that she had a car and they didn't. It stopped the teasing real fast.

Mr. Franklin was away on business when the car arrived, and thus Keesha had yet to have the chance to thank him. Luckily for her, he was right on time for his biweekly visit. Forgetting about being mature for a second, Keesha ran to her father and gave him a big hug.

Mr. Franklin laughed. "Good to see you too, honey. I can only guess what brought this on," he said wryly.

"Thank you so much for the car, Dad. I love it!" Keesha broke the embrace. "Any chance I can drive today?"

Her father laughed again, but quickly his expression turned more serious. "Maybe some other time. I have someone I want you to meet today."

Keesha gave her a wary look. "Oooooook."

The two headed to a nearby diner. Waiting for them was a well dressed woman in her mid-30s. She waived at the duo from the booth she was sitting at, giving Mr. Franklin a hug when he reached her.

A confused Keesha coughed loudly to get their attention.

"Oh, um, yes," replied a flustered Mr. Franklin. He took a deep breath. "Keesha, this is Monique, my girlfriend. Monique, this is my daughter Keesha."

Monique smiled and stuck her hand out. "It's so nice to meet you, Keesha. Alvin's told me all about you."

Keesha robotically shook Monique's hand. "Girlfriend, you said?"

"Yeah," said Mr. Franklin sheepishly. "I didn't want to say anything or have you meet her until we had been seeing each other a while."

"Define a while."

"Almost a year," said Monique, who started to look a little nervous.

"Really now," deadpanned Keesha. "How nice."

"Why don't we sit down and have lunch?" Monique suggested.

"Fine," responded a still deadpan Keesha.

Keesha eyed the couple suspiciously as she peppered them with questions. She was already unhappy with her father for keeping this from her so long. She wasn't thrilled with how much younger Monique was than her father. It was another red flag when Keesha found out Monique was a paralegal at her dad's law office. _I guess it's one up on sleeping with your secretary_, Keesha thought bitterly.

Once the meal was finished, Monique wasted no time in leaving. "I've got to get going. Keesha, I'm sure you want some alone time with your dad. It was nice meeting you." She kissed Mr. Franklin before exiting the scene.

Father and daughter looked at each other in silence for a few moments. Finally, Keesha spoke.

"She seems nice."

Mr. Franklin smiled. "Yes, she is. I'm very lucky."

"So is this going somewhere?"

"It very well could be. That's why I waited before telling you. I didn't want to introduce you to someone than have it end abruptly. That wouldn't be fair to you. You understand that, right?"

Keesha's annoyed expression indicated anything but understanding. Mr. Franklin sighed. "I guess I can't be surprised you're unhappy about this, but I hoped you'd be more mature about it. I would like to think by now I'm allowed to date other people."

"That's not it, Dad. How am I supposed to take it? You date someone for almost a year and don't give me any indication you're fucking one of your employees…"

"Keesha! Language!"

Keesha just rolled her eyes. "Was the car a bribe, because you knew I wouldn't like this? Are you trying to buy me off?"

Mr. Franklin tried desperately to conceal his anger. "Certainly not. The car was a gift for your birthday and for you getting your license. I thought it was an apt reward for a maturing young lady. I'm less sure about that now."

Keesha folded her arms and looked down. "Are you going to marry her?"

Mr. Franklin's face softened. "I'm thinking about it. I know there's the age difference and it would probably be better if she didn't work at the firm, but love doesn't always work out neatly."

"Love?" Keesha interrupted in a slightly shaky voice.

"Yes, love. Look Keesha, there's a part of me that will always love your mother, even if things didn't work out between us, and I will always love you with everything I've got. That will never, ever change, even if I've fallen in love with another woman." Mr. Franklin took a deep breath, hoping that was reassuring.

Keesha countered with a deep breath of her own. "Can we go home?"

Mr. Franklin thought about trying for further discussion, but knew that once the normally extroverted Keesha shut down, that was it. "OK."

Back at her house, Keesha robotically hugged her father goodbye. As he drove off, her gaze kept shifting from his car fading in the distance to her car and back. When she was satisfied her dad was long gone, she got into her Honda and hit the road.

Phoebe was tidying up the house when she heard the doorbell. She opened the door to reveal Keesha, much to her surprise. Phoebe's smile at seeing her best friend quickly receded when she noticed Keesha's glum look.

"What's wrong?"

In response, Keesha made a beeline to the couch and slumped her body into it. Phoebe quickly took the other half of the couch before Keesha could splay her whole self into it. Keesha told Phoebe about the day's earlier events.

The auburn haired girl thought a moment before speaking. "That's awful Keesh. He should've told you earlier."

"Yeah. It's like he's had a secret life. It's unsettling."

Phoebe gave Keesha a sympathetic look. "You're not going to like this, but I think you should forgive him."

"Argh. C'mon Pheebs! I've told you before. That's not it works between my father and me. First he was never around, now he's around and hiding shit. It's so shady."

"I understand…"

"No you don't," Keesha bitterly interrupted.

"Well, here me out anyway," Phoebe commanded. "I think I understand why your father kept his girlfriend from you for so long. What good would've it been if he was dating around and you kept meeting different women? Daddy's been on dates before, but he always tells me he doesn't want to introduce me to anyone unless it gets serious. So, I kinda of see where your dad is coming from. He should've said something about him dating again though."

Keesha folded her arms. "I will never understand your ability to always see the best in people."

Phoebe shrugged. "It's a gift, and you know I'm right. You would've found some other argument otherwise."

Keesha sighed. "OK, I'll think about it."

Phoebe smiled. "Good. Hey, since you're already here, want to do something? I'm about done cleaning here." She looked at Keesha with hope. She had been struggling since the break up with Arnold, to the point that no one else wanted to be around her and her sadness.

Luckily, the dark haired girl noticed. "Sure. I brought the car. Let's cruise the town and maybe hit a movie or something." Phoebe nodded her agreement.

* * *

Little did Keesha know, her tough weekend was about to get even worse. The next day she headed to Ralphie's house and wasted no time in telling him the situation.

Ralphie hugged her in sympathy. "That sucks, Keesh. Your dad really should've told you sooner."

"Thanks. Phoebe says I should forgive him, but she always says stuff like that. What do you think?"

Ralphie made a face and let go of Keesha. "Phoebe? You talked to Phoebe about this?"

Keesha looked at him, not seeing a problem. "Yeah, I talked with her yesterday about it. So what?"

Ralphie's grimace remained. "I would think you would've wanted to talk to your boyfriend about this first, especially once with experience in dealing with shitty fathers."

"Phoebe's raised by a single parent too, you know," Keesha tried to say in defense.

"It's not the same, and you know it," replied Ralphie, his voice void of emotion.

"I'm sorry this is upsetting you. I'm so used to going to Phoebe about stuff first. She is my best friend after all."

"I would like to think boyfriend outranks best friend."

Keesha was starting to get frustrated. "She's been my best friend for eight years. We've been dating for barely a year. Instinct took over. What do you want me to say?"

Ralphie took a breath. "When am I going to be number one in your eyes?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I thought a relationship meant you shared things with each other, but what to do you when something happens? You run to Phoebe. I'm tired of being number two." Ralphie sighed and flopped onto his bed.

"Are you asking me to _choose_ between you and Phoebe?" Keesha asked, growing more disgusted with each word.

Ralphie didn't say anything, which just further angered Keesha. "Fine. I'll choose, and it's not you!" she yelled, leaving his room with a slam of the door.

For the second time in as many days, Keesha was at Phoebe's house with a problem. This time though it was mostly spent sobbing in Phoebe's arms.

Seeing the anger and pain in Keesha's eyes Monday morning at school was hard enough for Ralphie, but something about Phoebe's wordless disappointment stung just as much.

* * *

In one way, Phoebe's birthday was the easiest of the gang to celebrate. She didn't really socialize at all outside of the gang, so it was always just them. She hated fuss about her, so her party was always low-key. In another way though, it was the hardest birthday, because no one ever had a clue of what to get her. She never asked for anything, even when asked point blank what she wanted. A few years ago, DA made a donation to the ASPCA in Phoebe's name, and after Phoebe's delighted reaction, that was what the gang usually did every year.

This year, however, was proving particularly difficult, and the group dynamics were the reason. The Arnold/Phoebe breakup was still weighing on them all, and now they had to deal with the fallout of the Ralphie/Keesha breakup. Carlos and DA were still together, but their relationship remained combustible and was a continual threat for conflagration. The one plus is that Tim had dumped Janet months ago.

Still, the gang knew they had to suck it up for their gentle friend, and thus they gathered at Keesha's house (Phoebe always said her place was too small for everyone). The first moments were awkward, but after a while, the gang started to get into their usual banter and routine. After weeks of people avoiding each other, the healing process from the breakups had finally begun.

As things were starting to wind down, Phoebe stood up. She hated speaking up in front of everyone, but knew it was something she needed to do here. She took a deep breath.

"Guys, thanks for coming. I know it hasn't been easy lately, so I appreciate that you were all willing to get together for me."

"Welcome, but c'mon Pheebs, we weren't missing your 16th," Carlos replied. "Especially when you bake for the occasion." He turned hungrily towards the leftovers of the cake. Yes, Phoebe baked her own birthday cake. She trusted her skills and ability to use natural ingredients more than grocery stores.

Phoebe smiled. "Well, whatever the reason, thank you, and thank you for the donation to the animal shelter!"

DA giggled. "Welcome. Happy birthday Pheebs." She stood up and gave Phoebe a hug. The others followed suit as the party dispersed, leaving just Keesha and Phoebe. The two went about cleaning up, but shortly after heard a knock on the door.

Keesha gave a puzzled look. "Weird. We're not expecting anyone else." She opened the door to find Arnold. "Forget something, Arn?"

"No, um, I have something to give to Phoebe, and I wanted to wait until everyone else was gone."

Keesha was immediately suspicious, but decided to let this play out. "Come in."

"Thanks. Hey Pheebs." Arnold said to the auburn haired girl, who had come over once she noticed him standing there.

"Um, hi Arn," replied a visibly uncomfortable Phoebe. "What's this about?"

Arnold swallowed hard. "A few months ago, before the, uh, unpleasantness, I found something I wanted to give you for your birthday. I know I should've returned it after we broke up, but well, I want you to have it anyway." He offered her a long, thin box.

Phoebe's eyes widened at the box, unsure whether to accept it. "Thank you Arnold, but I don't know if this is a good idea."

"Please, take it," Arnold pleaded. "Even if we're not together, you deserve something nice."

Phoebe looked at Keesha, desperately seeking guidance, but Keesha had no idea what to do and tried to nonverbally convey that.

The auburn haired girl took a deep breath. "OK." She took the box. She opened it to reveal a gold necklace with an emerald as the stone.

"I picked it out because emeralds are your birth stone, and it matches your eyes," piped up a nervous Arnold.

"Wow. Arnold, it's beautiful," said Phoebe, tears welling up. In one fluid motion, she flung her arms around him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Happy birthday." Arnold broke the hug and practically ran out of the door. That left a still stunned Phoebe to struggle opening the clasp of the necklace. Keesha eventually ran out of patience and helped her get it on.

Keesha took a step back. "It looks good on you." The two stared at one another, dumbfounded at what just happened.

That Monday, Arnold was minding his own business when he suddenly felt himself up against the wall. He looked up to a very angry Keesha.

"You lead her on or hurt her again and I will make every bone in your body hurt. That's a promise." Not waiting for a response, Keesha put Arnold down and calmly walked away.

As Arnold stood there stunned, Wanda came by, having seen the whole thing. "Chicks man," she said in a tone that constituted sympathy for Wanda.

* * *

The summer was proving to be a great healer for the gang. They mostly spent the first month apart, which just reminded them how much they missed each other. The one possible negative was that Carlos and DA finally gave up their relationship. However, for them it was more a sigh of relief than anything else, and their friendship quickly returned to their usual friendly teasing-based dynamic.

July came Wanda's birthday, the last of the group to turn 16. This being Wanda, she was looking for some thrills, and thus wanted to spend her birthday at Cedar Point amusement park. After some cajoling, the gang headed there in pairs, with Mrs. Li and Mr. Ramon (who volunteered to chaperone to Carlos's chagrin) following. Leading the way was Tim and Carlos in Tim's Mustang.

"Dude, you're really tricked up this car. It actually feels driveable now," Carlos complimented with a twinge of jealously. Of those in the group with their license, he was the only one without his own car.

"Thanks man," a confident Tim replied. "It was a lot of work, and my dad wasn't going to help. 'You got to do this yourself, son. The sooner you learn self-reliance, the better,'" he intimated his father's baritone voice.

"Whatever works."

"True. Wait til I get my motorcycle. Then I'll be a chick magnet," Tim proclaimed. "Not really sure why I'm not already," he added with confusion.

Carlos laughed. "Because all the other girls are afraid of Janet. What were you thinking there?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Yes."

"Liar."

"C'mon man!" Carlos pleaded. "How bout I tell you a secret first?"

"Go for it."

"Last month, I went out on a date with Keesha," Carlos said with some modicum of pride.

Tim didn't fall for it. "You said a date. Implying you did not have a second one."

Carlos's face fell for a moment, before returning to his usual impish grin. "True. It was a little weird. That kind of thing just didn't work between us. It was a good rebound after DA though."

Tim nodded while keeping his eyes on the road. "Anyone else know?"

"Just you," Carlos answered. He paused. "Wait. I'm sure Phoebe knows too."

"Well that was a given."

There was a moment of silence before Carlos realized something. "Hey, I told you my secret! Time to spill. What were you thinking dating Janet?"

"Changed my mind. Not telling you," Tim said nonchalantly.

"Asshole."

Trailing Tim and Carlos were Arnold and Ralphie in the former's Acura.

"Why did Wanda have to pick an amusement park?" Ralphie whined.

"Because it's Wanda. Thrill seeking is what she does. I'm not thrilled about it either." Arnold said matter-of-factly. He chuckled. "How can Mr. Sports Superstar be such a wimp about everything else?"

"Shut up. You're one to talk, Mr. I Should Have Stayed Home Today. Don't pretend you're going to go on any roller coasters either."

Arnold shrugged. "We'll have to figure out something to do while the others risk their lives."

"Well, we probably won't be the only ones. DA probably bought books because she's weird, and Phoebe doesn't strike me as a roller coaster person either."

Arnold reflexively sighed. "Yeah, that's not Pheebs' thing."

Ralphie looked at him. "Still regret breaking things off?"

"It…it was for the best."

Ralphie decided not to say anything, although his face made it clear he wasn't buying it.

Third in line was the birthday girl, being driven by Dorothy Ann in her green Volvo.

"No offense DA, but this car is lame. Why didn't I hitch a ride with Tim in his sweet ass Mustang?" Wanda kvetched.

"Because you wanted to keep Carlos and me separated, because you thought Arnold's car was worse, and because we all knew Keesha and Phoebe were driving together," DA replied dryly.

"Oh yeah," Wanda recalled. "Well, on the way back I'm getting in the Mustang. If you and Carlos make out or argue and go off the road, that's your problem."

"Way to be empathetic Wanda, and Carlos and I are fine by ourselves. Things ended amicably."

"Don't use your big words on me, Parker."

DA sighed, having long grown tired of Wanda feigning ignorance to things. "It means Carlos and I ended our relationship on good terms. We're still friends."

"Yes, in that you now only argue twice a day instead of three times," Wanda shot back with a grin.

DA frowned, but knew it was true. "Well, that's just how we are. We don't mean anything by it."

Wanda's face softened as she decided to drop the teasing. "Yeah, I know." This being Wanda though, she found a new thing to needle her blonde friend about. "Can you go any faster? Getting beat there by Arnold would be embarrassing."

"Wanda, if and when you get your license, you can drive as fast as you want and what the law will let you get away with."

"I'm just saying." Wanda paused. "At least you're going faster than Keesha. I swear she drives like an old woman."

"Well she was taught by her grandmother."

Bringing up the rear (not counting the chaperones) were the Twins in Keesha's Honda.

"You have that map ready, right Pheebs?" Keesha asked.

"Yes, but just stay close to DA. You'll be fine," Phoebe replied.

"OK." Keesha wondered for the umpteenth time why she lost her sense of direction years ago. In the corner of her eye, she noticed Phoebe fiddling with the necklace Arnold gave her. Ever since she got it, Keesha had never seen her without it on.

"Are you going to be OK with Arnold around all day?"

Phoebe blushed and fiddled even more with the necklace. "Yeah, I'll be fine," she said in a less than convincing tone. "Will you be alright with Ralphie?"

"Yeah, we're good. Plus he's too scared to go on any roller coasters anyway. Keeping Carlos and Wanda from doing something stupid is my main concern."

Phoebe just nodded, not sure what to say. Keesha reached over and gave her shoulder a quick squeeze. "I'll be sure we get some Twin time today."

The auburn haired girl couldn't help but smile. "So you've finally accepted our nickname?"

Keesha let out a sly grin in return. "Yeah. Why not? There are worst things than being fake related to you."

Upon arriving at Cedar Point, Wanda immediately dragged the group to the newest, tallest, fastest roller coaster in the place. Carlos, Keesha, and Tim were almost as thrilled as Wanda to tackle it. Arnold and Ralphie, on the other hand, looked at each other, trying to be brave. They made it ten minutes in line before bailing to the laughter of their friends. They sheepishly passed by the adults to find a smirking DA and an embarrassed for them Phoebe, neither of which bothered to pretend they were interested in big coasters.

The rest of the afternoon was a blur of speed and g-forces for Keesha. Wanda seemingly had an endless appetite for the roller coasters, and Keesha was determined to keep up. In the process, she had lost track of what the abstainers were doing. After the 40th time or so upside down though, it became too much for her and she slipped away to find Phoebe. The first person she caught up with was a nervous looking Ralphie. For a moment, the two stared at each other, not sure what to say.

"Finally coming up for air, I see," Ralphie tried to joke.

Keesha was not fooled. "What's wrong?"

"Uh, I can't find Arnold."

Keesha sighed. "Really? How did you lose him?"

"I don't know. One minute he was there, the next he was gone." Ralphie thought a moment. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Phoebe in a while…" As he said that, his eyes began to bug out. Keesha's did the same.

"Oh bad. Oh bad. Oh bad. We have to find them!" Keesha exclaimed. Ralphie nodded and the two split up.

Keesha moved as quickly as she could amongst the throngs of people. She came to what looked to be a storage shed secluded near the back of the park. At first she passed it without a thought, but did a double take when she heard strange noises. Heart leaping through her chest, she took a deep breath and crept closer towards the shed. Now she could tell the noises were coming from behind the shed. She took another deep breath and peered behind…

…to discover Arnold and Phoebe having a passionate make out session.

Keesha panicked immediately after they spotted her. She ran as fast as she could from them, yelling "Code Ginger! Code Ginger!"

* * *

**A/N:** All apologies and no insult intended to Betty Friedan and _The Feminine Mystique_, a book I really should read at some point.

Save Wanda being last (because it amused me), all the birthday months were picked randomly. Apparently DA's doesn't work with the show, but oh well.

Current Ohio law actually allows for kids to get their permits at 15 years, 6 months. For this, we'll just say the law changed from when the gang was that age.

Cedar Point is an amusement park in Northern Ohio, basically on Lake Erie, famous for having lots of high end roller coasters.

Next up: Junior year, which hopefully will be less relationship-centric as this chapter was.


	6. High School (Part Three)

Right on time as she always was, Phoebe knocked on Keesha's door on the first day of their junior year. The African American girl opened the door with a playful grin.

"I'm surprised you made it, Pheebs," she teased. "The last month you and Arnold have been inseparable." Keesha wasn't kidding. Since the Cedar Point make out session, Arnold and Phoebe had spent almost all their free time together. Once dormant, their relationship had spent the last month in overdrive.

Phoebe blushed. "Um, good point, but still, I wouldn't miss our first day tradition!"

Keesha's grin hadn't subsided. "I know you wouldn't. C'mon, let's go. I'll give you back to Lover Boy when we get to school."

Again, Keesha wasn't kidding. The girls caught up on each others' lives during their walk, but once they hit the school, Arnold saw them and waved. Phoebe wasted no time in running towards him. Keesha couldn't help but laugh as the couple lip locked.

At that moment, Carlos and Tim came up to Keesha. "You're just going to let Arnold steal your twin like that?" the Latino boy needled.

Keesha shook her head at him. "Let them have their fun. Besides, Arnold knows that if he hurts her he's going to pay."

"Believe me, he knows. We all know," Tim noted. "You only threaten violence if Phoebe is involved."

"Yeah! What are the rest of us, chopped liver?" Carlos asked in jest.

Keesha just rolled her eyes and walked away.

* * *

The Twins were chatting between classes one day in mid-October, unaware they were being watched.

All day rumors spread about the new girls' gym teacher. From the stories in the halls, she used to be at a school in another state in a town called Lawnscape or Highdale or something. Someone found out she had a reputation as a hardass, but was fired from her old school for fixing grades for athletes. Why Walkerville decided to hire her was a mystery to all. It was this new teacher that was eyeing Keesha and Phoebe.

"You two! Come here!" the new teacher barked from across the hall.

Keesha and Phoebe looked behind them. The latter pointed at herself and mouthed "us." The teacher nodded, and the two confused girls headed that way.

The new teacher wasted no time. "What are your names? First and last."

"Who are you?" Keesha immediately countered.

"I'll ask the questions here. Names, now. No more lip."

"Keesha Franklin."

"Phoebe Terese."

Keesha's voice was calm. Phoebe's was shaky, the new teacher's bluntness clearly intimidating her.

"That's better," the teacher grinned in a manner that further unsettled the girls. "I'm Coach Morris, the new gym teacher. Tell me ladies, do you two play basketball?"

The two looked at each other. Phoebe spoke first this time. "Um, no ma'am, I'm not very good at sports."

"I'll be the judge of that. How tall are you?"

"Um, five eleven."

Coach Morris nodded, pleased with that answer. She turned to Keesha. "And you?"

Keesha scowled at her, seeing right through what the coach was getting at. "I play field hockey. Basketball isn't my thing." Keesha made sure to emphasize that last sentence.

However, Coach Morris either didn't notice or didn't care. "Well, despite what you think, I think you both would make fine additions to the basketball team. Tryouts are next week, and I urge you to show up."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Keesha coolly replied.

Coach Morris's face hardened. "I don't think you understand, ladies. That was not a request. I expect you both at tryouts. If you don't show, I will make your lives hell in my gym class." Before they could respond, the coach turned on her heel and walked briskly away.

The two teenagers stared at each other a moment trying to process things. "What just happened?" Phoebe asked.

"She sees my race and your height and assumes we can play basketball," responded a pissed off Keesha. She pounded her fist into her hand. "She's a bigger bitch than people have been saying!"

"So, what do we do?"

Keesha sighed. "I think we have to suck it up and try out. I don't think her threat was an empty one."

Phoebe let out a sigh of her own. "I'm going to embarrass myself!"

Keesha patted her arm. "I'll be right there with you. At least we'll be embarrassed together."

A week later, Keesha and Phoebe nervously walked onto the gym floor for basketball tryouts. As they headed towards where the other girls were lined up, Phoebe noticed a few of her friends in the stands. She pointed them out to Keesha. "What are they doing here?"

Keesha took a look at the bleachers. "Knowing Wanda and Carlos, they're here to laugh at us. Tim I think had something like this happen to him last year, so maybe he's here for support." She paused. "And to laugh at us."

Suddenly, a whistle blew. It came from the mouth of Coach Morris. "Line up, ladies!" she barked. Once she was satisfied she had their attention, she continued. "I want to start with a scrimmage to get a general idea of what you can do. One team line up to my left, the other to my right." Coach Morris called out the teams, putting Keesha and Phoebe on the same side.

As Phoebe lined up for the tip, a six foot two, slightly heavyset senior named Karen pointed straight at her. "Oh, I'm gonna have fun with this skinny ass maggot."

Phoebe gulped and the ball went in the air to start the scrimmage. Keesha and Phoebe's team won the tip, and having no idea what to do, the two aimlessly ran up the court. Someone passed the ball to Keesha. She took a few confused dribbles, surprised at the light defense, before noticing a wide open Phoebe at the elbow. She passed it to Phoebe, who managed to catch it. Phoebe looked up and saw nothing but daylight between her and the basket. She took some awkward dribbles forward. _Maybe this won't be so bad_, she thought. She went up to shoot, released the ball…

_WHACK!_

Seemingly out of nowhere, Karen had charged through the lane and blocked the shot right back in Phoebe's face. It was only luck that the ball didn't hit Phoebe right in the nose. From the bleachers, Carlos, Tim, and Wanda doubled over in laughter.

It didn't get any better for Keesha or Phoebe. Just about every time one of them had the ball, they were swarmed by a defender and quickly turned it over. Karen went out of her way to knock Phoebe down every chance she got (never getting a foul called). At one point, the other girls took pity on Keesha and let her take a shot. It missed the basket completely.

Finally, a disgusted Coach Morris had seen enough. She blew her whistle to stop the proceedings. "Franklin! Terese! Get over here!"

The girls did as they were told. "Is _that_ seriously the best you can do?" Coach Morris asked.

"Yeah," was all an exhausted Phoebe could spit out.

"We're trying our best," added Keesha.

"Get out of here," Coach Morris growled.

As the two left, their friends in the stands tried to regain their breath, having mostly laughed through the whole thing.

* * *

In Arnold's mind, it was a perfect solution. When he found out that Phoebe's uncle wouldn't be joining the family for Thanksgiving, he felt that Phoebe and her dad shouldn't be alone for the holiday. Things had been going well for the couple, and he felt it was finally time to Phoebe to meet his parents.

Of course, he still wasn't sure if Phoebe was on board with that plan. The two were hanging out after school when Arnold gathered up the courage to ask.

"So Pheebs, what are you plans for Thanksgiving?"

Phoebe mulled it over. "I don't know. With Uncle Dave busy, I guess it'll just be a quiet one for Daddy and me."

"Well, if you want, you're both invited to spend the day with my family."

As if on instinct, Phoebe's eyes bugged out. Her breathing became shallower. Arnold looked at Phoebe with concern and put his arm around her. Phoebe closed her eyes and tried to get her breath back under control. Her mind raced in thought. _Arnold's been so patient with me about this. He's been so amazing since we got back together. I owe him this. He'll be there, and so will Daddy. I can do this._

Phoebe smiled at a worried Arnold. "I'm OK, thanks. I'll ask Daddy, but I'd love to come."

Arnold smiled back. "Awesome!"

"Should I bring anything?"

"Have you ever baked a pumpkin pie?"

"Hmmm," Phoebe thought out loud. "We usually do apple, but I think I can figure out pumpkin."

"You're the best, Pheebs." Arnold leaned in for a smooch, which quickly grew to more aggressive kissing before remembering they were in public.

Phoebe spent the week trying to convince herself she was OK with this. Her stomach was still flipping when Arnold arrived Thanksgiving Day to pick up her and her father. She tried to hide her nervousness on the ride to Arnold's house, unwittingly aided by her dad's ability to make small talk with Arnold. To Phoebe, it felt like a drive into a different world as the houses got nicer and nicer until they arrived at the Perlstein home, which while not a mansion, might as well have been in Phoebe's eyes.

Arnold led the Tereses into the house, yelling "Mom! Dad! We're here!"

Arnold's father heard him first, and came down to greet them. "Welcome. So glad to finally meet this girlfriend of yours."

"Um, hi, Mr. Perlstein. I'm Phoebe and this is my dad."

"Glad to meet you, Mr…."

"Terese, Mark Terese, but we have met before when the kids were in third grade."

"Oh yes, the weird thing with their teacher and the vampires." Mr. Perlstein stuck out his hand to Mr. Terese before realizing his mistake. He quickly grabbed a surprised Mr. Terese's hand to recover. Phoebe blushed, but her discomfort only got worse when from the kitchen she heard, "Arnold! Is that you and your so-called girlfriend?"

"You didn't tell me Janet would be here," Phoebe whispered.

"If I did, you wouldn't have come," replied Arnold sheepishly.

Following Janet was Arnold's mother. "Hello…what's your name again?"

"Phoebe, and this is my dad." The auburn haired girl desperately tried to keep her voice calm.

"Hello," Mrs. Perlstein said curtly as she shook Mr. Terese's hand (who had his out in anticipation this time). She turned to her son. "Arnold, I appreciate you thinking of others, but a peasant girl playing dress-up and a blind man? The neighbors will think we're taking in charity cases."

Mr. Terese scowled while his daughter found an even deeper shade of red to turn. Arnold let out a small sigh of frustration at his grand plans already falling apart.

Soon after the introductions, the eight of them (including Janet's parents, who were Arnold's paternal uncle and aunt) sat down for dinner. Phoebe should have felt content with her father on one side of her and her boyfriend on the other, but all she felt were the stares of the other five at the table with the last name Perlstein.

"So Mark," Mr. Perlstein started. "What do you do for a living?"

"I teach English at Walker State," Mr. Terese answered.

"Oh!" interjected Mrs. Perlstein. "Then you must make some decent money." Arnold shook his head at his mother's tactlessness.

Mr. Terese's face could not hide his irritation. "Not for an adjunct unfortunately. It's pretty piecemeal. I never know from one semester to another how much work I'll get. I keep trying for tenure, but it's hard without a doctorate and cutting through the red tape isn't easy, and well, they don't like the concessions they have to make for me as it is, so they want me as cheap as possible."

"His students all love him. He gets great evaluations," Phoebe quickly added with a hint of pride.

"Why don't you have a doctorate?" Arnold's dad asked in a manner that indicated legitimate curiousness.

"I was working on it, and then my wife got sick," Mr. Terese replied, his tone growing much more sad and Phoebe and him reflexively touched each others' hands. "When that happened, my priorities had to shift towards taking care of her and Phoebe."

A silence fell over the table until Arnold's dad asked another question. "Have you thought of doing something else?"

"If you have any ideas, I'm all ears. I can't exactly go drive a forklift."

"You can work for Dad and Uncle Jeff at their law firm," Janet said with fake sweetness. "They can always use more typists, and I'm _sure_ Braille keyboards aren't that expensive."

"Janet!" Arnold yelled, glaring first at her, then at her parents, who yet again failed to admonish their daughter.

Dinner continued with awkward small talk, but no other major incidents. Then came dessert. Phoebe got up to retrieve her pumpkin pie. She cut it into slices and went around the table serving it. She didn't realize how that looked until Janet decided to open her mouth again.

"Wow, Pheebs. It looks like you finally found your calling in waitressing."

It took all of Phoebe's will not to put the pie into Janet's lap. Mr. Terese, however, could no longer hold his tongue.

"Janet, I don't know what your problem is with my daughter, but the insults and cruelty are beyond childish. Grow up and leave Phoebe alone."

"Don't talk to my daughter like that," piped up Janet's aggrieved father.

"Well, someone needs to teach her how to talk to people with respect," Mr. Terese shot back dryly. Phoebe sat back down and hugged herself, wishing a hole would swallow her into the earth.

"Alright, that's enough!" Arnold's mom yelled. "Can we please eat dessert like civilized human beings?"

Everyone complied with the request, but the tension still hung in the room. Each of the eight took a bite of the pie. Something was wrong though, as their expressions made obvious.

"Uh, Pheebs," Arnold said, trying to cut off his family at the pass.

"Yeah, I know," replied Phoebe in irritation. She took another bite and slapped her head in realization. "I didn't put in enough sugar! Ugh! I can't believe it!"

"It's ok Phoebe, we all make mistakes," said Arnold's father, trying to be helpful.

"Yeah Pheebs, we've all messed up something we're supposed to be good at," Janet scoffed. "Well, just you actually."

That was the last straw for a mortified Phoebe. "Arnold, take us home please," she commanded in a low but forceful voice.

"Yes son, I think it's time for us to leave," Mr. Terese added. He stood up. "Thank you for having us."

The ride back to Phoebe's house was made in total silence. When they arrived, Arnold said the only thing he could think of. "I'm sorry."

"We know, Arnold. It wasn't your fault," Mr. Terese assured. "You've always acted like a fine young man. Your family? Well…" he trailed off.

"Thank you sir," Arnold replied. He turned to his girlfriend. "Phoebe? Do you have anything to say?"

Phoebe matched his pleading eyes with her sad and confused ones. She shook her head. "I'll call you when I'm ready to talk."

Arnold tried not to look disappointed. "OK. Have a good night."

As he drove off, the Tereses headed towards their front door. Once inside, Phoebe's attempt at stoicism broke. She ran into her father's arms and cried. "I'm so sorry, Daddy."

"Pum-...Sweetheart, it wasn't your fault either. It definitely wasn't your fault. Please whatever you do, don't blame yourself."

Phoebe sniffled. "OK."

Mr. Terese broke the embrace but kept his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "What are you going to do about Arnold? I meant it when I said he's a fine young man, and knowing his family now, it's even more impressive."

"I don't know yet. I have to think about it." Phoebe broke completely away and headed upstairs.

"I understand," said Mr. Terese quietly, listening to Phoebe's footfalls as she walked. When he heard the door to her room close, he guided himself to the one chair in the living room, put one hand to his forehead, and let out one of the deepest sighs of his life.

The rest of Arnold's night wasn't a whole lot better, as he spent most of it arguing with his parents about their and Janet's behavior. After a sleepless night, he holed up in his room the next morning waiting for Phoebe to call. The call finally came early in the afternoon.

When Arnold arrived at Phoebe's room, she appeared calm. Arnold had been expecting crying and hysterics. He wasn't sure if the lack of that was a good thing. The two looked at each other for a moment, waiting for the other to make the first move. It ended up being Arnold.

"Phoebe, I'm so sorry for my family's actions. I told them again and again to be nice and they didn't listen!"

"I know, Arnold. I'm not mad at you."

Arnold smiled in relief, only to pull back the smile once he saw Phoebe's sad look. "But…" he added, guessing she wasn't done.

Phoebe took a deep breath. "All I wanted was for our families to have a nice Thanksgiving, and instead Daddy and I got our lives shoved into our faces. Your family judged us right away, and didn't try to get to know us at all. Yeah, we don't have a lot, especially compared to you, but that doesn't define who we are…"

"I know that…"

"Don't interrupt me! From your family, all I got was scorn, and the belief that Daddy and I were inferior." Phoebe stopped to wipe her eyes, as her will to keep from crying evaporated. "It was so obvious that it got to the point where I started to believe it."

"Oh, Pheebs…" Arnold walked up to Phoebe and tried to give her a hug, but she quickly moved her body away from him.

"Don't try and touch me right now," she ordered. Arnold slowly backed away. Phoebe watched him intently before continuing.

"I understand that you're not like the rest of your family, and that you don't just see me as the 'poor kid.' However, when I look at you, all I see is the scorn I received yesterday, and I can't handle that right now."

Arnold's panic showed all over his face. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that we come from different worlds, and after what happened, I can't date you right now."

"Phoebe, that's insane!" Arnold pleaded. "You don't have to interact with my family anymore."

"I'm sorry Arnold, my mind is made up. I can't ask you to have two separate lives." Phoebe sniffled. "Go," she ordered before her resolve broke completely.

Arnold stayed for an extra minute, hopefully Phoebe would change her mind. In response, she turned away, refusing to look at him. Arnold finally took the hint and left. When Phoebe was sure he was gone, the sobs began, only stopping long enough to call Keesha. The rest of the day turned into an impromptu but necessary sleepover.

* * *

It was a frigid evening in mid-December, part of the first big cold snap of the year. Homework finished, Phoebe was in her room reading _Pride and Prejudice_ when her father knocked on her door.

"Hi Daddy."

"Hi pumpkin. Do you have a minute?"

"Yeah," Phoebe pulled her legs back so her dad could sit on the bed as well.

Mr. Terese sat down and continued. "Pumpkin, you know I've been seeing someone lately?"

"Yeah."

"Well, things have been going really well, and tomorrow I'd like to take you to her place to meet her."

"That sounds great!" Phoebe's eyes lit up. It took a few years after her mother's death for her to feel comfortable with it, but now she was all for her father finding someone new. She wanted to see him happy more than just about anything else in her life. "Are we going to have dinner? Or maybe just coffee, although I don't drink it, I'm sure you would…"

Mr. Terese laughed and put his hand up. "Whoa! Slow down dear. There's something else you need to know."

"What's that?" Phoebe's voice indicated some concern.

"You actually know this person. She's the mother of one of your classmates."

"Is it Keesha's mom?!" Phoebe interrupted.

Mr. Terese laughed again. "Sheila is very nice, but no, it's not her."

"Then who?"

"Your friend Ralphie's mom, Dr. Tennelli."

Phoebe sat stunned for a moment. _Ralphie's mom? Really?_ Out loud, she said, "Wow. How did you two get together?"

If Mr. Terese was bothered by his daughter's directness, he didn't show it. "I figure tomorrow Suzette and I can tell both you and Ralphie the story. I just didn't want to surprise you."

Phoebe leaned over and kissed her father's cheek. "From what I remember, Dr. T is pretty cool, so if she makes you happy I'm on board."

"I'm glad to hear that. Night Phoebe."

As her father left the room, Phoebe tried to get back to her book, but her mind was racing. _Daddy and Dr. T? That's…interesting. I wonder how Ralphie is going take that. He's pretty protective of his 'Ma.'_

Meanwhile, in the Tennelli home…

"Phoebe's dad? Really?" asked an exasperated Ralphie.

"Ralphie!" scolded his mother. "Mark is a very nice man who treats me with respect and is raising a fine young woman. The least you can do is give him a chance."

Ralphie didn't initially respond as he thought about it. He wasn't against his mother dating, and the last thing he wanted was for her to think that. "I'm sorry, Ma. I was just surprised. Mr. Terese is a good guy from what I know."

"Yes, he is. I expect you to behave tomorrow, right?" Dr. Tennelli gave her son her most stern look.

"Of course," Ralphie's voice cracked.

The next evening, the Tereses arrived at the Tennelli home, having taken the bus to get there. As Mr. Terese ran the doorbell, Phoebe breathed deeply to try and calm her nerves.

Dr. Tennelli opened the door. "Mark! Phoebe! Good to see you." The two adults kissed, causing Phoebe to blush. Standing behind his mother was Ralphie, who looked just as nervous as his teenage counterpart.

"Um, hey Pheebs." He swallowed. "Hello, Mr. Terese."

Mr. Terese smiled and put his hand out. Ralphie grabbed it and the two shook. "Good to see you, Ralphie. It's been a while."

Before a hush could fall over the proceedings, Dr. Tennelli spoke up. "Dinner should be ready in a minute. Is lasagna OK with all of you? I made a smaller one with no meat and some veggies for you, Phoebe."

Both Tereses nodded their agreement. As they headed to the dining room, Phoebe whispered to Ralphie, "Is her lasagna more edible than her calzones?"

"Yeah," came the reply. "Her lasagna is actually pretty good. I begged her to go with that."

As the four sat to eat, it became clear quickly to the kids that there was an obvious chemistry between their parents. Their ease with each other helped their children get used to the pairing. As dinner finished, the regular small talk ended and the kids could no longer hold their questions.

"So, how does this, uh, happen?" Ralphie asked.

Mr. Terese clasped hands with Dr. Tennelli before speaking. "Well son, I was visiting a friend in the hospital a few months ago. Suzette was on call that day, and I happened to hear her voice at the hospital coffee shop. I said hi, and we reminisced about that one night with Miss Frizzle. Next thing we know we had been talking for half an hour. I asked her out, one thing led to another, and here we are."

Ralphie nodded, but something Mr. Terese said raised his eyebrows. "Son?"

Having not realized what he said, Mr. Terese blushed. "I'm sorry, Ralphie! I didn't mean it in that way."

Dr. Tennelli took over from there. "Right. We're nowhere near that point, but we wanted to get together because things are going well. Phoebe, I know I can't act like your mother."

"And Ralphie, I can't act like your father," Mr. Terese added.

"However," Dr. Tennelli continued. "Understand that we're available for both of you kids whenever you need us, and if things change between Mark and I, you both will be the first to know."

"OK," said both Ralphie and Phoebe.

A silence came over the foursome until Mr. Terese broke it. "I'm guessing you're both still thinking about it, which is fair." He stood up. "It's getting late. Phoebe and I better be getting home."

Dr. Tennelli stood up as well and the couple kissed. She turned to her son. "Ralphie, drive them home. I don't want them taking the damn bus this late."

The ride back to the Terese home was mostly silent. Upon arriving, Mr. Terese quickly got out of Ralphie's car from the back seat. "If you kids want to talk, go ahead. Phoebe, I'll see you inside. Good to talk to you again, Ralphie."

The kids watched Mr. Terese head inside. They looked at each other.

"So…"

"So…"

"Your dad and my mom," Ralphie started. "They seemed like a…good couple." He chose his words carefully.

"Yeah," Phoebe was just as careful. "They seem happy. That's the important thing."

"Yeah," Ralphie conceded. "You know what this could mean if they, you know…"

"I know, but it's OK. There are worse potential stepbrothers than you." Phoebe smiled.

"Thanks," Ralphie boasted. "And there are definitely worse potential stepsisters than you. Wanda, for instance."

Phoebe's smile quickly turned to a frown. "Don't make fun of Wanda like that!"

The gang's star athlete wilted at its most gentle member's disapproval. "Fine, so we're good?"

"We're good." Phoebe started to get out of the car, but Ralphie put up his hand to stop her.

"You know the gang's going to freak out when they hear about this."

"Let them."

Ralphie was right. The news shot through the rest of the group like a sonic boom. Keesha in particular was dumbfounded.

"Your mom," she gasped, looking at Ralphie. "And your dad?!" she continued, turning to Phoebe.

"Yeah. So?" Phoebe said, glaring at Keesha in a way that took the dark haired girl aback.

"Well, if they get married, you'd be brother and sister. That's not a little weird to you," Tim wondered.

"Yeah, Pheebs already has one twin, she doesn't need another," Carlos teased.

"OK, Carlos, you think Phoebe and I are twins, we get it!" yelled an annoyed Keesha.

"Anyway," Ralphie sighed. "I admit it's a little weird, and we're still getting used to the idea, but hey, it makes our parents happy, so let's see where this goes."

"Agreed," added Phoebe.

"I guess if Ralphie and Phoebe are OK with it, we should be too," Arnold piped up in a slightly nervous voice. He was still shy around Phoebe after their latest breakup.

Having nothing else to say on the matter, the gang dispersed to class. They left Ralphie and Phoebe, who took one more awkward look at each other before heading on their way.

* * *

The four girls in the gang were walking to their lockers between periods. The conversation regarded their weekend plans, as the four wanted to take advantage of a rare weekend where nobody had anything planned, one of the few advantages of the mid-January dead zone. Things were normal until the girls opened their backpacks and lockers. Things were normal until Phoebe suddenly started rummaging through her things in a panic.

"Oh no! Where is it?! How did I lose it?! Oh, why did I bring it here?!" Phoebe cried.

"What's wrong, Pheebs?" asked Keesha.

"Did you lose you diary or something?" added Wanda with a smirk.

"No, I…" Phoebe paused. "Wait, do you all think I'm so stereotypical that I have a diary?"

"Yes," the other girls immediately and simultaneously replied.

"Well…you're right about that actually." Phoebe blushed. "But that's not what's missing!"

"Then what is?" a both amused and annoyed Wanda asked.

"My story notebook!" replied a still panicked Phoebe. "Oh, why did I give in to Mr. Wilson and agree to let him see it!"

"Think back through your day. Maybe you'll remember where you might have lost it," DA advised.

"Hmmm…," Phoebe thought. "I've had to open my bag before every class. It could've fallen out at any time." She slapped her head. "I have English next. What am I going to tell Mr. Wilson?"

"What's the big deal anyway?" a bemused Wanda asked. "It's just a book of your crappy stories. I know you're supposed to be the English god, but no one will care."

Phoebe looked down at the floor. "Those stories and poems are really personal Wanda," she replied in a soft voice. "I've never shown them to anyone else. All year, Mr. Wilson has wanted me to submit something to the literary magazine, and I finally agreed to let him see my stuff." The auburn haired girl let out a long sigh. "That was stupid."

Her bemoaning was interrupted by the bell ringing for the next period. Wanda and DA quickly scattered, not knowing what to say to their friend. Keesha, however, patted Phoebe on the arm. "Don't worry, Pheebs. We'll all look for it after school. I'll make sure Crazy Bitch and Nerd Girl help."

Phoebe forced a smile. "Thanks Keesh."

Unfortunately for the girls, the notebook was nowhere to be found. A dejected Phoebe went home, ignoring that it was normally her day to volunteer at the animal shelter. She arrived at school the next day still in a dark, fearful mood, afraid of who might have found the notebook. Just as she about to enter the building for the day, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to view a sheepish looking Tim.

"Hey Pheebs."

"Um, hi Tim. What's up?"

"C'mon. Let's find a private place to talk." He led her outside to the small courtyard near the library. He wasted no time in pulling something out of his bag. Phoebe recognized it instantaneously.

"My story notebook! When did you find it?"

"After lunch yesterday. I was the last to leave the table and saw it under your chair."

"Why didn't you give it back to me yesterday? I've been so stressed about it!"

Tim looked guilty. "I tried, but I couldn't remember your late classes, and we live kinda far from each other, so I figured I'd just keep it safe overnight and bring it back to you today."

Phoebe breathed a big sigh of relief as she took the notebook back. "Well, at least someone I trust found it. Thank you so much, Tim."

Despite the praise, Tim's guilty look continued unabated. "Um, there's something else you should know."

"What?" Phoebe's eyes grew in size, already guessing what Tim was about to say.

"Um, I looked through it." Phoebe gave him a death look, leaving Tim desperate to explain. "I didn't mean to! It just kind of happened. I was looking to confirm it was yours, stumbled onto a story, and just, uh, kept reading."

"Tim! How could you? That was private!"

"I know. I'm sorry." He paused. "What I read was really good."

Phoebe perked up. "Really?"

"Yeah. I can see why the English teachers love you. If you ever want an illustration done for one of your stories, I'd be happy to do one."

The auburn haired girl beamed. "Thanks! That would be great." Her smile faded when she noticed that the normally unflappable Tim appeared nervous and was rubbing the back of his neck. "Is something wrong?" Phoebe asked.

"Um, no…I, uh, wanted to ask if you wanted to, you know, hang out some time?"

"You mean, like a date?"

"Um, not necessarily…Yes." Tim mentally yelled at himself for his sudden inability to speak in coherent sentences.

However, Phoebe didn't seem to mind. She was too busy trying to figure out if it was a good idea. _It's been two months since Arnold and I broke up. It's time to move on, and Tim's a nice guy. Let's do it._

"Sure. I'd like that," she finally replied.

Tim broke into the widest grin Phoebe had ever seen from him. "This Saturday night?"

"It's a date."

Phoebe was used to silence on dates, usually because things were awkward. The silences during this date though were different, more a result of how quiet both participants were in general. Neither Tim nor Phoebe felt any great need to talk for the purpose of talking. They generally chatted about his art, her writing and volunteer work, and whatever came to mind when it came to mind and not because it was forced.

That date led to another one week later, then another, and while they mutually agreed to ignore the upcoming Valentine's Day, Tim and Phoebe realized that third time around that they were now a couple.

* * *

Dr. Tennelli knew her son probably couldn't be trusted alone on a Saturday night. Duty called though and thus she was off to the hospital for an overnight shift. She knew that leaving him was probably a terrible idea. However, she decided to give him a break, and to test him. After all, he and his friends did take the SATs that morning, so he deserved a night without his mother around. Still, she let the neighbors know to keep an eye on things, and made sure to leave the house with the key to the liquor cabinet in her coat pocket.

Of course, Ralphie wasted no time in inviting all his friends over, and his friends wasted no time in conjuring up excuses to fool their parents.

"Damn, your mom kept the liquor cabinet locked," Carlos whined.

"Is it really necessary?" Dorothy Ann admonished.

"C'mon DA, live a little. You practically killed yourself studying for the damn SATs." Carlos's tone was joking, but he meant it. DA has spent the past month studying even more than usual to prepare for the test. She worked herself to such exhaustion that she couldn't leave the school that morning under her own power. Ralphie had to carry her out after the test.

"Forget about it guys," Ralphie said. "Ma has the key, and I'm not breaking into it. She trusted me for once and I'm not going to blow it."

"Trusting you was her first problem," Wanda cracked.

"Momma's boy," Tim added flatly.

"Shut up asshole," replied a wounded Ralphie.

"OK, let's figure out something to do," Keesha quickly jumped in before things deteriorated further.

"Oooh! How bout Truth or Dare!" Wanda yelled.

The remaining seven looked at each other, some more gung ho about that than others. Unfortunately for the more reluctant members, no one could think of anything better to do, so Truth or Dare it was. Initially, things weren't too scandalous, especially once the group convinced Wanda that making Arnold climb on the roof naked yelling "I'm king of the world!" would attract too much attention. That changed once it was Carlos's turn.

"Hmmmm…Keesha, truth or dare?"

Keesha mulled it over for a minute before deciding truth was the slightly more dangerous prospect. "Dare."

Carlos didn't hesitate. "I dare you to kiss Phoebe on the lips."

Ralphie and Tim let out a "wooo" of approval. Wanda's face made her interest clear as well, while DA looked intrigued in spite of herself. Arnold looked slightly embarrassed, which was better than Phoebe, whose face was beet red in embarrassment and terror.

If Keesha was uncomfortable, she didn't show it. "You've been waiting a looooooong time to ask us that, haven't you?" she said coolly.

"Oh yeah," Carlos replied. "And no quick peck. It has to be a real kiss."

Keesha sighed. "Fine, but this is the last time we're catering to you perverts. Right, Pheebs?" She looked over at her best friend, who was trying to disappear from the world. Keesha patted her on the back. "It'll be alright. I'm sure you're not that terrible a kisser," she said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, c'mon Pheebs. If anyone shouldn't have a problem acting gay, it'd be you," Wanda teased.

That got Phoebe to put her head back up. "That's not the problem," she said with tension in her voice. "The problem is how excited you all are about this." She turned to her boyfriend in disgust. "Even you, Tim?"

Tim smiled warily. "Guilty as charged. Sorry Pheebs, it's a guy thing."

Phoebe let out a heavy, depressed sigh. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

Keesha and Phoebe turned to face each other, as the rest of the gang jostled to get the best view they could. The two took a deep breath and moved in closer until their lips met. They held it for a few seconds before breaking it off.

"Happy now everyone," Keesha stated.

"That was…underwhelming," noted Ralphie.

"Yeah, I thought that would be hotter," added a clearly disappointed Carlos.

"How did you two like that?" asked a not particularly comfortable Arnold.

"It was alright, I guess," answered Keesha. "Pheebs?"

"Yeah, it wasn't bad," said the auburn haired girl. "I still don't get why you boys were so eager to see it." She glared at Tim as she said that.

"Maybe they wanted to prove you two really weren't gay," offered DA. "Not that it's bad if you were," she quickly added. Ralphie, Tim, and Carlos looked away after that comment, essentially confirming it.

Keesha shook her head. "Whatever, I'm next. Carlos, go find some bugs outside and eat them."

"But, I didn't say truth or…"

"Don't care. Do it."

"Keesha! Those bugs didn't do anything wrong," pleaded Phoebe, causing the rest of the gang to shake their heads. Internally though, they were glad, figuring that outburst meant Phoebe was over it. Still, Tim looked over his girlfriend with unease, and was further worried when she looked back with the same unease.

* * *

Keesha opened the door and saw an upset looking Phoebe. Before Keesha could say anything, her best friend spoke first.

"Tim and I broke up."

Keesha's eyes flashed in anger. "What?! What did that bastard do?"

"No, no. I broke up with him."

"Really? You're the bastard?"

"Yes, and this bastard hurts like hell," Phoebe dropped her head. Keesha put an arm around her and led the two into the house. Once they reached Keesha's room, both girls flopped onto the bed.

"OK, what happened?" Keesha asked.

"It wasn't complicated." Phoebe sighed. "Tim's a nice guy, but I just didn't feel enough of an emotional connection anymore."

Keesha nodded. "That makes sense. Emotional openness is not what comes to mind when I think about Tim."

"Yeah. I just couldn't do it anymore. I need someone who listens to me and my feelings. That's important to me, you know?"

Keesha nodded again. "I know."

Phoebe sighed. "I'll miss the rides on the motorcycle though."

"Of course. Who wouldn't?" Keesha stood up. "For now, let me get the ice cream and put on a sad movie." Keesha started to walk out of the room, but paused. "Are you sure you don't want me to kill him?"

Phoebe giggled in spite of her sadness. "No, it's OK." Her expression turned more serious. "Thanks Keesh."

"Any time Pheebs."

* * *

Finally after yet another long, hard winter, spring made its first appearance in Walkerville in the middle of March. That morning, it was Keesha's turn to walk to Phoebe's house before going to school. When the auburn haired girl opened the door, Keesha's eyes widened in surprise.

"Whoa! New outfit, Pheebs? Tax refund time?"

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah. That and at my last checkup, the doctor said I've probably stopped growing finally!" Phoebe was up to five foot eleven, and her constantly growing body had made clothes shopping difficult for a long time. "So, I could finally treat myself with something new. Like it?" She twirled around to give Keesha a full look.

Keesha tried to hide her bemusement as she studied the outfit. Phoebe was wearing a tie-dyed top with a long ruffle skirt that went down just above her ankles. A pair of new Birkenstocks completed the ensemble.

"It's…it's you," Keesha finally remarked.

"Thanks!"

The duo walked to school as normal until hearing loud laughter two blocks from the building. They looked to their right to find Janet nearly in hysterics.

"What's the matter Janet? Did you push a kid in the mud again?" Keesha asked with not even thinly veiled malice.

"Oh no!" Janet spat out, still trying to get her breath back. "It's whatever Pheebs is wearing. It's hilarious!" She laughed again. "And hideous!"

Phoebe blushed. "I like these clothes," she said in a low voice.

Janet just laughed harder. "I didn't think you could do worse than the rags you usually wear, but you did it. And you actually bought this?"

"Yes."

"Now, since when does your poor ass buy clothes? You probably stole them." Janet sneered. "Although that probably did the store a favor. No way they could have sold that crap."

Phoebe blushed harder and turned away so Janet couldn't see her eyes moisten. Keesha folded her arms and stared down Janet as if she could make her disappear solely by the force of her rage. "Let's go Pheebs. As usual Janet, your opinion is unnecessary and unwelcome."

Keesha put her arm around Phoebe, but as they walked away, she whispered, "Look out to make sure no teachers are around."

The auburn haired girl nodded, and Keesha quickly turned around and started back towards Janet. Before the bully knew what happened, Keesha had her up against a wall.

"Listen here, bitch. I am sick of your bullshit. Phoebe has never done anything to you, but all you do is shit on her for whatever pathetic reasons you've created in your mind in order to feel superior. You know damn well Phoebe would never steal anything." Keesha shook Janet against the wall. "And another thing, shut the fuck up about Phoebe being poor. It hasn't stopped her from being the kindest, most caring person I know. Meanwhile, all your money hasn't done anything but make you a total selfish asshole." Keesha put down a stunned Janet. "For the last fucking time, leave Phoebe alone, or I'll do much worse, and get Wanda to help."

Before Janet could say anything, Keesha turned around and walked away. She rejoined a mouth agape Phoebe. The two wordlessly finished their walk to school until Phoebe finally gained her voice back.

"Thank you, but why do you always get violent when defending me?"

"Because you're worth it, and you're too much of a peacenik to do it yourself."

Phoebe pondered it a moment. "OK." She put her head on Keesha's shoulder in gratitude.

While the gang couldn't resist lightly teasing Phoebe on her outfit ("Oh no! She's gone full hippie!" Wanda cried.), word spread of Keesha's actions and everyone was afraid to cross her if they went too far. By the end of Keesha's rant to Janet a crowd had gathered, but despite Janet's protestations, no one claimed to have witnessed the "traumatizing assault."

* * *

The Twins' Saturday plans were quickly dashed by the seemingly endless pouring rain outside. Stuck inside at Keesha's house, they turned to a topic they had putting off all year: the future.

"How many colleges can there be?" Phoebe asked, sifting through the mail Keesha had gotten from schools the last few months. Phoebe had a similar pile at her house.

"A lot apparently," Keesha replied. She grabbed a letter. "Why am I getting mail from colleges in California?"

Phoebe shrugged. "I keep getting stuff from colleges all over the place." She sighed. "I can only afford places in Ohio, and even then only if I get a lot of financial aid. In-state tuition only for me." She looked at Keesha with pleading eyes. "Are you going to stay in state?"

Keesha took a deep breath, not particularly surprised at the question. Given her parents' careers, the in-state versus out of state debate wasn't particularly relevant in terms of cost. "I'm leaning towards that. I don't want to go too far away from family." She looked closer at her best friend, who still looked apprehensive. "What's on your mind, Pheebs?" Keesha asked, although she had an idea of what it was.

Phoebe only got more nervous, but eventually spat out, "Um, would you like to go to the same school?"

That was exactly what Keesha expected. Her face softened. "You know I'd love that, but I don't think it would be smart for either of us to promise it." Phoebe tried to smile, but still looked worried. "And even if we don't go to the same school, we'll still talk and hang out when we can. You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Phoebe giggled. "Thanks. It's just…I like the friends I have, and I know there's no way we'll all go to the same college, and…"

"You're worried we'll drift apart."

"Yes. Exactly."

"Well, I can't speak for the others, but I don't want to drift apart. We've been best friends way too long for that."

Phoebe smiled legitimately for the first time that afternoon. "Thanks." She turned her attention to the mail pile. "Any schools you're interested in?"

Keesha mulled it over a moment. "Not Walker State for one. Too damn close."

Phoebe nodded. "I hear you, and not Ohio State. Too big." She shuddered.

"Yeah. Public school wise, I was thinking Akron, Kent State, Miami, and maybe Central State." Upon seeing Phoebe's puzzled look, Keesha added. "The historically black college." She continued. "Private school wise, I was thinking Oberlin, Wooster, or Ashland."

Phoebe beamed at those. "I was thinking about Wooster and Ashland too. They're close, but not too close, you know. I was thinking about Xavier too. Cincinnati might be a city I can handle."

"Got to grow closer to your Catholic roots," Keesha teased.

"Hey, do you think we can visit some of these schools together!" Phoebe suddenly inquired.

"Of course," answered Keesha before the two went back to the seemingly endless mail pile.

* * *

"Do you want to go out some time?"

Every instinct Keesha had told her to say no, because this wasn't just any boy asking her out, it was Arnold. Yes, he and Phoebe had been broken up for some time, and both had dated since, but this was her best friend's first love and first heartbreak. Wasn't there some kind of code against that?

Still, "no" didn't come out of Keesha's mouth. What she said instead was, "Maybe. I need to talk with someone first."

Arnold nodded. "I understand. Let me know."

Keesha wasted no time in heading to Phoebe's locker. She knew she only had a few minutes before Phoebe left for the animal shelter. The auburn haired girl spotted Keesha first and smiled. "Hey Keesh! How it's going?" Phoebe then noticed her best friend's harried face. "What's wrong?"

"Arnold asked me out!" Keesha blurted out.

"Oh." Phoebe's tone was flat and her smile turned into the most emotionless expression she could muster. "And what did you say?"

"Um, that I had to think about it." Keesha waited for a response, but only got that same blank expression staring at her. It was a little unnerving. If there was anything Phoebe wasn't, it was unemotional.

"What's there to think about?" Phoebe asked, voice still showing nothing.

Keesha looked away for a second, not quite believing herself what she was about to say. "I'm thinking of saying yes."

"OK, go ahead," replied Phoebe. Her eyes, face, and voice still weren't giving away anything.

"Really?" Keesha's eyes in widened in surprise.

"Yes. Arnold and I broke up five months ago. Do what you want." Phoebe closed her locker. "Now, excuse me, I need to be at the shelter in twenty minutes." She quickly walked away, not even looking at Keesha. The African American girl stood there confused. Phoebe _did_ give her permission, but she had never acted like this.

Despite the mixed signals from Phoebe, Keesha ended up saying yes to Arnold. Not surprisingly, he was respectful during their date. What was surprising was how fun he was. It was a side Keesha wasn't used to seeing. He took her dancing, and while he was clearly not comfortable with it, Keesha appreciated the effort. Thus, at the end of the night, when Arnold asked her out again, Keesha didn't hesitate in agreeing.

A month had passed and Keesha and Arnold were still dating. They hadn't called each other boyfriend and girlfriend yet, but for all intents and purposes that's what they were. For Keesha, it was mostly light and fun. She couldn't help but notice, however, how little she had seen of Phoebe during the previous month. When they were with the whole gang, she was even quieter than usual. When Keesha tried to hang out with Phoebe, she always declined, having apparently now added the soup kitchen and nursing home to her volunteer work.

One late April afternoon, Keesha was preparing to go home when Carlos showed up. Before she could tell him to get lost, the Latino boy spoke.

"You know, Keesha, I used to think you were one of the smarter people in the group, but boy have you proven me wrong."

Keesha closed her locker and glared at him. "What do you mean by that?"

Carlos casually took a bite of the apple he had for some reason before answering. "I mean how are you the only person that hasn't realized how much you dating Arnold is hurting your supposed best friend?"

"Phoebe? She hasn't said anything…"

"Of course she hasn't," Carlos interrupted. "That's not how Pheebolino rolls, but c'mon Keesh? You haven't noticed how distant she's been?"

"She has been…uh…quiet lately, even for her," admitted Keesha.

"Exactly. She feels betrayed."

"How do you know?" Keesha shot back in annoyance.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Uh…I don't know," Keesha resolved shrunk a bit. "Phoebe's stronger than everyone gives her credit for, you know," she retorted, trying to defend her best friend and herself by proxy.

Carlos was unfazed. "We know she is. She's been through shit the rest of us have no idea about. However, we also know when she's really hurt, this is what happens. She mopes around like a sad puppy, and it really sucks to see."

Keesha sighed, acknowledging he was right. "So, what do I do? Do you want me to dump Arnold?"

"What you do with Arnold is your business. What I am telling you to do is talk to Pheebs. You're the only one who can fix this."

"Fine. I will." Keesha sighed again. "I really screwed up, didn't I?"

"A little," Carlos admitted. "Just remember to give me the credit when you two make up." He grinned. Keesha rolled her eyes and left him there to be pleased with himself.

Keesha took a few days to do some thinking before making some decisions and heading to Phoebe's house. Phoebe's father answered the knock on the door.

"Hi, Mr. Terese," Keesha greeted.

Mr. Terese smiled. "Hello Keesha. It's been a while since you've been over."

Keesha grimaced, thankful he couldn't see that. "Yeah, stuff kept coming up. Is Phoebe home?"

"Yes she is. I'm sure she'll be glad to see you. Something's been bothering her lately, but she won't tell me. I'm hoping she'll tell you."

Another grimace. "I hope so too."

As Keesha went up the stairs, she could hear Phoebe playing her saxophone. She winced yet again, because while Keesha didn't recognize the song, it was clearly a blues tune.

Keesha took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Phoebe stopped playing and turned around. "Hello," she said with no emotion before looking away.

"Um, hi Pheebs. How are you?"

"I'm OK." Phoebe started putting away her saxophone while still not looking at Keesha.

Another deep breath. "I broke up with Arnold yesterday." Keesha waited for a response, but Phoebe continued to stay silent and avoid eye contact. Keesha took that as a sign to continue. "I'm sorry I said yes to that stupid date, and I'm sorry for letting this go that long. I didn't like him _that_ much, not enough to date him against your wishes."

Keesha paused again, praying Phoebe would say something. Finally, the auburn haired girl did.

"Why did you do it, Keesh?"

"I…I don't know. I wasn't thinking. If you had just said no right away, I wouldn't have done it!"

Phoebe made a face. "OK, I should've been crystal clear. I'll give you that, but c'mon, it was still obvious I didn't like it. I thought the rule was don't date your friends' exes."

"You didn't care when Wanda dated Arnold last year!" Keesha yelled in desperate self-defense.

Phoebe let out a sad sigh. "That's what Wanda does. You can't get mad at her for it anymore than you can get mad at a little kid for spilling things. With her, you know it's not going to mean anything. You though, you're my best friend. I trust you, and it hurt to see you dating him and acting like it was OK." She turned away so Keesha couldn't see the tears build up in her eyes.

Keesha looked down at her feet in shame. "I'm sorry I hurt you. Again, I broke up with him. I hope you can forgive me."

Phoebe turned back around to look at Keesha. "I appreciate the apology. Give me some time, OK." She went across the room and gave Keesha a hug. It was a short and somewhat cold hug, not the normal full embrace Phoebe usually went for, but Keesha could take it. Right now, she'd take anything she could get that would tell her things would eventually get back to normal.

"OK, Pheebs. See you Monday."

"See you." Keesha left the room. As Phoebe listened to her best friend descending the stairs, she grabbed her diary from its hiding place and began to furiously write.

Over the next few weeks, Phoebe slowly re-ingratiated into the gang. Things stayed awkward between her and Arnold, as they had been since their break up, but otherwise she was Phoebe again, mostly quiet but engaged and listening to what the others had to say. She also slowly started hanging out with Keesha again. The African American girl breathed a big sigh of relief. She wasn't exactly sure how close she got to losing her best friend. She didn't really want to know. It was close enough that she never wanted to feel it again.

* * *

"Alright, it's settled. Keesha will be the editor next year."

Under the table, Keesha pumped her fist. Her hard work the last three years at the school paper, the _Walkerville Wildcat_, had paid off. The paper would be hers as a senior.

"Hold on," a kid named Jeremy interjected. He had been the other student gunning for the editor's position. "If Keesha plays field hockey again, she won't have time to be editor." He turned around and flashed Keesha a sinister grin. Keesha sighed inwardly, knowing he was right. As a regular reporter, the paper could work around her field hockey schedule in the fall. That wouldn't work if she was in charge.

"Jeremy's right. I can't believe I didn't realize that earlier," the paper's current editor, a senior named Michael, said. "Keesha, I hate to do this, but we need a decision. Are you playing field hockey next year? If so, you can't be editor."

Keesha paused to make it seem like she was thinking about it, but in reality it was no choice. She liked playing field hockey and would miss the bond with her teammates, but she had a future to think about it. This could help her get there.

"Nope. The Wildcat will be my top priority," she said, returning the sinister grin to Jeremy, who shook his head in disgust.

* * *

Keesha flopped on the cheap bunk bed and let out a long, guttural sigh. Her immediate thought, her main thought this whole week in fact, was _kids suck_.

It was summer time, and Keesha had been hired to work as a counselor at a nearby camp. At the time, it seemed like a great idea. She still was considering becoming a teacher, and figured this was a way to figure out if she liked being around kids. Plus, she'd be outside a lot and get paid for her troubles. In reality, it was brutally hot, bugs were everywhere, the pay was terrible, the food was worse, and worst of all, Keesha found the kids incredibly annoying. They were whiny, in constant need of attention, and never left her alone. While she gained a new found appreciation for teachers, she quickly concluded that she wanted nothing to do with children as a career.

Keesha's misery was interrupted by Phoebe entering the cabin. The auburn haired girl cheerfully took her spot on the bottom bunk. She agreed to join Keesha as a counselor, the one positive that actually materialized.

"Hey Keesh!"

"Don't 'Hey Keesh' me, Pheebs! Today was awful…again."

"Oh come on! It's not that bad."

"Easy for you to say. The kids love you!" Keesha wasn't lying. While she struggled, the kids quickly took to Phoebe.

"OK, but that's because I listen to them and not just try to boss them around all the time."

Keesha craned her head down towards Phoebe for a moment before exaggeratedly flopping it back on her pillow. "I can't do it. I don't have the patience." She sighed. "I guess I can forget about being a teacher."

"At least you figured that out early," Phoebe encouraged. "Now you know you go all out for journalism. I'm sure you'll be great at that."

Keesha smiled for the first time all day. "Thanks Pheebs." Keesha had never verbalized it, but Phoebe's support meant the world to her. Her confidence was always lifted knowing her best friend had her back.

The two lay in contented silence for a few moments before a curious Keesha asked, "Do you have any idea what you want to be?"

There was a long pause before Phoebe finally responded in a soft voice. "Not really. Is that bad?"

"I don't know." Now it was Keesha's turn to pause. "I assumed you were going to be a vet."

"Yeah, um, that's what everyone thinks, but I don't know."

"You could definitely do it, Pheebs. Don't sell yourself short."

"Thanks, but that's not it. Putting animals down…I don't know."

"You know it's necessary sometimes…"

"Yeah, I get that!" Phoebe interrupted with irritation. "I'm not naïve. It's just…I don't know if I can do it."

"OK Pheebs, I understand. You don't have to know now." Keesha gave it some thought. "You're really good with these little brats. Have you thought about teaching?"

"I'm thinking about it, and some other stuff. The only thing I'm sure is that I want to make a difference." Phoebe sighed. "I hate having to choose this early. We're only seventeen! I'm jealous of you for having it so together already."

"Don't worry Pheebs," Keesha reassured. "You'll figure it out."

"Thanks Keesh."

"Anytime. Now let's get some sleep before one of those little bastards comes in here wanting something."

Phoebe giggled. "Sure."

* * *

**A/N:** It was likely obvious to anyone that's seen the show, but the basketball coach was Coach Morris from _Daria_.

Shoutout to theultimatesora, who started the trope of Phoebe's dad and Ralphie's mom getting together. Sora is also where I got the names for those two. The other parents' names in this chapter I made up.

_"Really? You're the bastard?"_

_"Yes, and this bastard hurts like hell,"_

That sequence is also from _Daria_, specifically _Is It College Yet?_

All the colleges named in this chapter are real except Walker State.

Up next: It's finally senior year.


	7. High School (Part Four)

**A/N: **First off, two responses to Guest reviews of the previous chapter. To the first, yes I plan to continue the story past this chapter, so no worries there.

To the second, yes, I fully admit I've blown the pacing of this story. This chapter is a little shorter than the last one, but I suspect they will all be around this length going forward. Sorry about that. I'll see what I can do.

A quick reminder. In my headcanon, the gang are the Class of 2004, so this chapter starts in the summer of 2003.

* * *

The early August day was as hot and humid as those days tended to be, but the prospective students of Ashland University and their parents didn't notice as they explored the campus. Keesha and Phoebe were among the students in the front, attentively listening to their escort. Keesha's mother and Phoebe's father hung towards the back, the former quietly describing the campus to the latter when needed.

After the tour, the group broke for lunch. The Franklins and Tereses found a table in an isolated corner of the cafeteria to talk.

"So, what did you girls think?" Mr. Terese asked.

"I love it," both said simultaneously. The girls looked at each other in surprise.

Mrs. Franklin laughed. "I take it that wasn't an intentional mind meld." Her expression turned serious. "It is a good school. Are you both sure you could see yourselves going here?"

"Yes," again simultaneously, resulting in more funny looks around the table.

"I don't know quite how to put it, but I just have a really good feeling about this place," Keesha stated.

"Yeah, it feels right somehow," Phoebe added.

"Well, before we go we better make sure we know how to apply and the timetable," Mr. Terese proposed.

After lunch, the walk through campus was much less structured, and the girls joined some of the other students for some independent exploration. Once they left, Mr. Terese turned to Mrs. Franklin. "They said this place is twenty thousand a year, right?"

"Unfortunately."

Mr. Terese sighed. "Let's go find the financial aid office."

* * *

It was a perfect fall Saturday in September. Dorothy Ann, Keesha, and Wanda had spent it hanging out, intentionally doing as little as possible. For Keesha, having free time on fall weekends was a new experience. Switching out field hockey for editing the school paper still made her weeks as busy as before. On the weekends though, her task load was much lighter since the paper obviously didn't publish then. She was determined to take as much advantage as possible.

However, one of the Frizzle females was missing, and thus the other three were off to see her. Keesha parked her Civic in front of the local convenience store. The girls entered to find Phoebe working the front register.

"Hey guys!" Phoebe greeted cheerfully.

Before anyone could give Phoebe a proper greeting, Wanda blurted out "Holy shit, you guys weren't lying."

"Why would we lie, Wanda?" an annoyed DA asked.

"Because it's our hippie Pheebs, working for The Man," Wanda countered. "It's unnatural."

"Thanks Wanda. I think," said Phoebe. "But if I'm going to be able to go to Homecoming and Prom this year, I need this job." She was telling the truth. Her father hated to say it, but he made it clear at the beginning of the year that to attend both dances, and to have any chance of buying new dresses for them, Phoebe would need to get a job. An actual paying job, not just volunteer work.

"Damn, that sucks," Wanda replied in an attempt at sympathy.

Phoebe let out a small smile. "It's OK. It's kind of nice to earn my own money. Maybe you all should try it." Her smile turned into the closest thing to a smirk she could muster. The other girls quickly demurred.

"I'm too busy studying. I have to keep up if I'm to be valedictorian," DA explained.

"The paper is taking up a lot of my time," Keesha added.

"Blech! You sound like my mother," Wanda complained. She looked around to make sure no one of authority was listening. "Hey Pheebs, can I get a pack of smokes?"

Phoebe folded her arms. "Wanda, I know you're not 18 yet."

"C'mon. What good is having you work here if you can't hook me up with smokes or beer?"

"Anyway," Keesha interrupted. "When do you get off work Pheebs? Want to hang out then?"

Phoebe checked the clock (it was around four) and shook her head. "Not until ten. I'll probably be too tired by then. Sorry."

Wanda frowned. "This is why jobs suck and I'm staying away from that shit as long as possible."

"Well, that's your right Wanda," Phoebe said patiently. Just then, a customer approached. "Sorry guys, I gotta go. See you."

"Later Pheebs. Give me a call tomorrow if you're up to it," Keesha waived as the girls headed out the door. As they headed back into Keesha's car, she let out a sigh.

"What's the matter? Miss your girlfriend?" Wanda teased.

"Shut up, Wanda," Keesha growled.

"Seriously. You could stand to learn some maturity and responsibility yourself," DA snarked.

"Whatever," scoffed Wanda. The joke would be on her though a week later, when her mother gave her a similar monetary ultimatum. As a result, Wanda would spend the fall and winter months until softball season working at McDonalds. The gang was not shy in teasing her about this development.

* * *

Keesha stood on the edge of the track and the grass motionless. Only her eyes moved, darting back and forth towards the object of her desire. Around her was the cacophony of the game on the field and the cheering of the crowd around it, but to Keesha it barely registered. She remained lost to the world until Phoebe tapped her on the shoulder.

"Wha? Oh hi, Pheebs."

Phoebe giggled. "Find something you like." She craned her head towards the Walkerville High bench.

Keesha sighed. "Yeah."

"Oooh," Phoebe squealed. "Who?" At the moment, the defense was trotting onto the field. Phoebe looked at Keesha, and quickly realized that her eyes were locked on number 56.

"Ralphie? Are you sure?"

"I know. We tried once, but I have this feeling of incompleteness, like we missed something," Keesha explained. "But he's moved on."

"How do you know?"

"Because he's dated a lot of girls since we broke up. He's the star athlete and he's taken advantage of it. He barely notices me now."

Phoebe gave a look of concern and grabbed her best friend's arm. "C'mon, let's go talk in private." She led Keesha to the outskirts of the track near the bleachers. "Ralphie's one of our best friends. Even as he got more popular, has he ever forgotten about us?"

"No," Keesha was forced to admit.

"Well, I don't know what he thinks of you romantically anymore, but he still likes you even after breaking up, and that's something."

Keesha didn't say anything, so Phoebe tried another tactic. "Have you thought about asking _him _out first?"

The dark haired girl looked at Phoebe like she had a second head, which only served to frustrate Phoebe. "C'mon Keesh! It's the twenty first century. The guy doesn't always have to do the asking. That's outdated thinking."

"If that's the case, how come you've never asked a guy out?" Keesha retorted.

"Umm…uh…" Phoebe trailed off as her face burned a dark crimson. "I don't like anyone enough to ask," she finally sputtered out. "Really though, what do you have to lose? Homecoming's coming up. You should him ask to that."

Keesha shook her head. "He has a date for Homecoming, remember? That bimbo Jessica."

"Oh yeah. I'm sorry."

"It's ok. You're just trying to help." Keesha walked away with her head down, no longer interested in the game.

Two weeks later at Homecoming, Keesha was back to staring sadly at Ralphie, this time as he grinded with Jessica on the dance floor. He had once again played well in a Walkerville High victory, and had college scouts all over him salivating about his baseball talents. He was on top of the world, and while Keesha thought she had things mostly figured out, she knew she couldn't compete with all the other stuff going on in his life.

Once again, her reverie was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder from Phoebe. The auburn haired girl didn't wait for a greeting this time. "You OK?"

Keesha tried to put on a brave face. "Yeah. I'll manage. Where's your date?"

"Getting some punch. Where's yours?" Phoebe's (completely platonic) date was Tim. Arnold and Wanda also went together, as did Carlos and DA, who became a couple again over the summer. For her part, Keesha went with Jeremy, who turned out to be a nice guy once he got over losing the editorship.

"I think he's talking to some of his friends. Whatever. It was obvious nothing was happening there."

Phoebe gave her a sympathetic look before discreetly pointing at Ralphie. "Don't give up. According to Wanda, he's not that serious with Jessica. I still think you should try asking him out. I bet he'd say yes."

Keesha turned away. "We'll see, Pheebs."

Just then, the proceedings were interrupted by a crash, followed by DA stomping away, yelling "Screw you, Carlos! We're through!" Carlos followed, trying to plead his case. "C'mon DA! I didn't mean to fall into Florrie's arms!"

Keesha and Phoebe looked at each other. "Somehow I saw that coming," the former deadpanned.

* * *

Keesha sat down with a moan of relief. Her 18th birthday party was a blast, but exhausting. At the clock neared midnight, her partying tank had hit empty. She had just closed her eyes when she heard a cough. Annoyed (she had told Phoebe to keep people away), she opened her eyes in the tiniest slits possible.

It turned out the interrupter was Ralphie, which was enough to get Keesha fully awake again. "Uh, hey Keesh. Everything alright?"

"Oh, um, yeah. Just resting a bit. Long day."

"Makes sense. Great party."

"Thanks."

Thinking that was the end of the conversation, Keesha closed her eyes. Ralphie had other ideas though.

"So Keesh, I, uh, was thinking…"

"Yes…" Keesha's voice projected irritation. Her eyes stayed closed.

Ralphie took a deep breath and grew enough nerve to say what was on his mind. "Ever since we broke up I've wondered, in the back of my mind, if it was the right thing to do. We're seniors now, so it's now or never."

"What are you getting at?" Keesha's eyes were wide open now.

"Um, uh…" Ralphie stammered as his confidence faded. "I want to try dating again," he finally spat out.

Keesha stood there in shock, not quite believing what she just heard. However, she didn't realize how long she sat speechless until Ralphie gave her an impatient look.

Finally, she answered. "I'd like that."

Ralphie beamed perhaps the biggest smile of his life. The two figured out a time for a date before Ralphie parted for the night. He kissed her on the cheek. "Happy Birthday, Keesh."

Keesha beamed right back. "Thanks." When he left, she collapsed back on her chair, this time in bliss.

* * *

One Saturday in early December, Phoebe was lounging in her bedroom reading _The House on Mango Street_ when she heard a car horn outside her window. She looked to find Keesha outside in her Honda. Confused by Keesha's brusqueness, Phoebe headed outside to figure out what her best friend wanted. As Phoebe walked her front sidewalk, Keesha motioned for her to get in the car.

"Hi Keesh. What's going on?" a still lost Phoebe asked. Keesha immediately handed her a booklet. "What's this?"

"It's the learners' permit manual. Get studying," Keesha commanded.

"Um, what?" Phoebe's confusion continued unabated.

"Pheebs, now that I'm 18, I can be the person who rides along while someone learns to drive. So, we're going to get you that license, and I'm going to be your teacher. My grandma says she'll help too."

"Really?! That's great! Thank you." The circumstances (no car and no adult around to teach her) that kept Phoebe from getting her license two years ago with everyone else still held. Thus, she was the only one in the gang who didn't have it. They was mostly understanding of that, but Phoebe still wondered when and how she was ever going to learn. She had to at some point.

"No problem Pheebs. Schedule your permit test as soon as possible. It's easy, so don't worry about it. Schedule it as soon as we're done."

Phoebe scrunched her face. "What do you mean, 'as soon as we're done'?"

"We're finding an empty parking lot, and you're taking the wheel for a while."

Phoebe's eyes widened in panic. "What? Keesha, no!"

Keesha just ignored her pleas and hit the road.

* * *

Walking out of the _Walkerville Post_, Keesha felt on top of the world. She had spent the day there as part of a shadowing program for seniors, and had loved almost every minute of it. She learned how journalists get their information for their stories, how they write them, and how the paper gets made in time to be delivered in the morning. There were some tedious parts, as in any job, but overall it had been a great experience for Keesha that further resolved her goal to become a journalist.

Keesha excitedly drove to the veterinarian's office to pick up Phoebe from her shadowing day. She couldn't wait to tell her best friend how awesome her day had been. However, when she arrived at the vet, Phoebe was standing outside looking very glum. Phoebe entered the car without a word.

Keesha read the situation correctly and figured Phoebe wouldn't want to hear about her great day just then. "You OK?"

Phoebe shook her head. "The vet had to put down two dogs and a cat today. One of the dogs had been hit by a car. His owner was a little girl, and it broke my heart to watch her cry." Phoebe started to cry herself. "I know it ends their suffering, but I can't do it. I can't look in their eyes and watch them die. I just can't."

Keesha pulled over so she could hug Phoebe. "I'm sorry."

Phoebe continued crying for a few more minutes before pulling herself together. "Thanks, and thanks for letting me do that. I was holding it in all day."

"No problem, Pheebs." Keesha restarted the car. "You need anything?"

"Um, can I hang at your house for a while? I need some time with Jake."

"Of course."

Phoebe flashed her first smile of the afternoon before changing to a more embarrassed expression. "Oh no! I never asked about your day! I'm sorry."

Keesha couldn't help but laugh. "It's alright Pheebs, and I had a wonderful day…" Keesha regaled Phoebe with her experience as they drove to her house.

* * *

The Twins gathered at Keesha's house on a gray February afternoon. Their college applications had long since been sent out, and the responses were in. Both girls had made their decisions, and it was time to tell each other what they had chosen.

Before Phoebe arrived, Keesha looked over her acceptance letters one more time. She had applied and been accepted to Akron, Ashland, Wooster, and Ohio State (where she applied at the insistence of her mother). She grabbed the letter of the school she chose and hid the rest. Shortly after, Phoebe arrived, the letter she chose hidden in a plain manila folder. Phoebe had been accepted to Ashland, Wooster, and Kent State. Her anxiety was evident on her face. Keesha figured why, as Phoebe had made no secret she wanted them to go to the same school. Keesha was worried that if their choices didn't match, Phoebe would switch. That was not a conversation Keesha wanted to have. As much as she cared about her best friend, she had to do what's best for herself.

"Ready?" Keesha asked. Phoebe nodded. The two simultaneously showed which letter they chose. Both picked Ashland University.

Phoebe threw up her arms and squealed in delight. She jumped up and hugged Keesha before the dark haired girl could even blink. "Oh! I'm so happy! I was so scared about leaving home without you by my side."

Keesha completed the hug, but didn't say anything. As best she could, she made her decision without taking Phoebe into account. She liked the Ashland campus, it was reasonably close to home, but not too close, and it had a journalism program. There were plenty of reasons for Keesha to choose Ashland that had nothing to do with her best friend. However, while Keesha crowed about her independence, in reality she wasn't ready to not have Phoebe by her side either. Keesha smiled in a mixture of joy and relief.

* * *

It was a beautiful late March afternoon, perfect for a celebration of love, and how Keesha wished she was anywhere else. Her father was getting married to his much younger paralegal. As Monique walked down the aisle, Keesha tried her best from her seat in the pews to keep her expression neutral. The couple was already irritated with her after she declined Monique's offer to be a bridesmaid.

Next to Keesha, Phoebe was wiping her eyes. Not knowing Mr. Franklin or his bride-to-be very well, she reverted to general happiness for the couple. She was at the wedding as Keesha's guest, the latter knowing she would need moral support.

Afterward, the two were sitting at the main table waiting for Keesha's dad and his wife. "What a lovely wedding," Phoebe remarked with a big smile.

Keesha frowned. "I should've known your sentimentality would win out. I should've brought Ralphie."

Now it was Phoebe's turn to frown. "Why does it bother you so much? They seem happy. Isn't that the important thing?"

Keesha opened her mouth in an exaggerated manner as if she were about to rant. After a beat though, she realized she didn't have one. Defeated, she sighed. "I don't know. I didn't like how much younger Monique was. I never really thought it would last this long, so I never gave her a chance."

Phoebe touched her best friend's arm. "It's not too late. If your father loves her, there has to be something good about her."

"I…I don't know."

"Think about it."

Keesha sighed again. "I'll try."

"At least smile when they're introduced."

"I was hoping you didn't notice that earlier."

Later during the reception, Keesha's father asked to dance with her, and for Keesha it was now or never in terms of making peace.

"Dad, I'm sorry for being difficult about this. It's nice to see you this happy. Congratulations."

Mr. Franklin smiled. "Thank you. Apology accepted."

The two wordlessly continued to dance. When the song ended, Keesha tried to break apart, but Mr. Franklin stopped her, grabbing her hand. "Would you like to talk to Monique. I know she'd love to start getting to know you."

Keesha nodded. "I'd like that." She was somewhat sure she believed that.

* * *

Phoebe's annoyed expression at the lunch table confused the gang. Sure, that kind of look was normal on Wanda or perhaps Tim or even Keesha, but Phoebe? Something was up. That said, no one would dare ask. Phoebe mad was a rare enough occurrence that the gang didn't want to risk poking the potential hornets' nest.

Luckily, or perhaps unluckily for them, Phoebe verbalized her complaint. "Burgers again? Why can't this cafeteria provide real vegetarian options?"

"Because nobody wants to eat vegetarian. It sucks," Wanda blurted out, earning her a cross look from Phoebe.

"Well, some of us don't eat meat, and it would be nice to have that choice treated with respect," Phoebe retorted.

"Relax Pheebs. No one's disrespecting your choices," said Ralphie carefully. "We just…don't agree."

"You know, I can make a veggie burger that's just as good as a regular hamburger," Phoebe proclaimed. Six of her friends guffawed at that suggestion. Phoebe folded her arms and scowled.

"C'mon Pheebs. Be serious," Ralphie stated as he tried to get his breath back.

"I am," said an icy Phoebe.

"Then prove it!" interjected Carlos. "Who here cooks the best real burgers?" Tim quickly raised his hand. "OK then, Tim vs. Phoebe in a burger-off."

Tim smirked. 'No problem. This will be easy."

"Her veggie burgers are pretty good actually. I've had them," Keesha inputted. She was the only who didn't initially laugh at Phoebe.

Wanda scoffed. "Keesh, I know you're compelled to defend Beanpole at all times, but don't be ridiculous."

"She doesn't need to defend me, Wanda," Phoebe said forcefully. "Tim, I accept the challenge." The two shook hands.

"Is this really necessary?" pleaded the ever conflict averse Arnold.

"Yes," everyone else answered.

That Sunday, the gang gathered at Tim's house for the contest. Judging the contest would be Ralphie, Carlos, Dorothy Ann, and Wanda. Arnold, while he showed up, wanted no part of it, and Keesha was (correctly) deemed too biased.

Phoebe went first. She described the burger as she carefully plated them and passed them out, giving each judge her sweetest smile. "This burger was made with lentils, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and breadcrumbs for a base, served with a wheat bun. Enjoy."

The four dug in. "Say, this is pretty good," Ralphie said in amazement

"Yeah, it is. Nice job Pheebolino," added Carlos.

"I have to agree. This is fantastic," concurred DA.

All three turned to Wanda. "Holy shit, this doesn't suck."

Phoebe smiled. "I'll take it, Wanda. Thanks."

Tim advanced with his burgers, each haphazardly placed on a paper plate. "Here's mine. It's a hamburger made out of meat on a bun, with nothing. Add ketchup if you want. I couldn't care less."

The four judges each took a bite, and the response was immediate.

"This is better," Ralphie declared.

"Way better," agreed Carlos.

"Yep, definitely," concluded DA.

"Not even close," said Wanda to complete the verdict.

"Really, come on guys!" yelled Keesha. She snatched Ralphie's burger from him and took a bite. "Sorry Pheebs, this is way better."

"Yep, sorry Pheebs. That's what happens when you don't use meat," crowed Tim.

"I…I don't understand," stuttered Phoebe. "I've been working on this recipe for years." She made a face. "Although it has been a long time since I had a burger with meat."

Tim wordlessly handed her the last burger. Phoebe grabbed it, held it for a moment, and took a bite. "This is better," she stated. "Now, excuse me, I'm going to go throw up."

The rest of the gang just shrugged and went back to eating.

* * *

Phoebe stared at the large envelope addressed to her. The envelope contained her financial aid package for her freshman year in college. The contents of the envelope would not only determine how much aid she would receive, it would determine if she could go to college at all. Her family was not in a position to pay anything out of pocket. Phoebe's father always told her that he'd find a way to get her through college, but she knew better. Her future was dependent on how much money some nameless, faceless bureaucrats decided she could have.

Phoebe looked at the time. Her father wouldn't be home for a few more hours, but she couldn't wait any longer to open the envelope. At the same time, she didn't want to do it alone. Thus, she called Keesha.

Keesha arrived to a very nervous Phoebe. She rubbed the auburn haired girl's arm to try and calm her down. It didn't work. Phoebe just stared at the envelope, unable to get herself to open it. Finally, she gave it to Keesha, her pleading eyes making it clear what she wanted.

Keesha took it, but before opening it, tried to soothe Phoebe's nerves. "You know Pheebs, it's OK if this doesn't work out. We'll figure out how to get you to Ashland."

Phoebe was not convinced. "We'll see."

Keesha tried a different tactic. "Well, maybe you don't want that many loans. You'll be stuck paying them off for years."

Phoebe's eyes suddenly got a lot steelier. "That's fine."

"Um, OK."

"Keesh, listen. Daddy and I have never had a lot. Ever since it's been just the two of us, he's worked his butt off and sacrificed so much for me. He'd put off things, important things, because I needed something. If the college didn't give him enough classes in a semester, he dealt with the humiliation of applying for food stamps because he wouldn't let me go hungry. He never complained all those years when I volunteered for free when I should've been earning money for the family. For the last 18 years, he's taken care of me. Now it's my turn, and I'll do whatever it takes so that burden isn't his anymore."

Keesha stood there stunned after her best friend's monologue. She looked around the tiny house. She noticed the very worn living room furniture, the same furniture that was in the house when the two of them met ten years ago. She noticed the old appliances in the kitchen, many of which look like they had been repaired at least once. She thought back to all the things her and the rest of her friends had that Phoebe didn't, or activities they took part in that Phoebe didn't because her family couldn't afford it. Most of all, she thought about how Phoebe never complained about her situation. Not once, which suddenly seemed remarkable. Keesha took a deep breath.

"OK Pheebs, I understand. Now let's do this." She finally opened the envelope and silently read its contents. When she finished, Keesha broke out into a big smile. She handed the letter to Phoebe. "Read it."

Phoebe took the letter and soon had a wide smile of her own. "It's all paid for, and mostly grants! The loans aren't that bad!" Happy tears flowed from both girls as they embraced.

"I've got to get dinner ready and wait for Daddy to get home," Phoebe said after they broke the hug. "I can't wait to show him!"

"I bet. See you tomorrow," Keesha replied. The two hugged once more before Keesha left. As she did, all she could think about was _They have more than earned this_.

However, Keesha also couldn't get the images of Phoebe's house out of her mind. Thus, she made it clear to the rest of the gang that "We need to do something special for Phoebe's birthday this year."

* * *

_PING!_ On that sound, the crowd collectively turned its head towards the outfield fences. They rose as one and cheered as the ball cleared the fence. Trotting the bases after yet another home run was Ralphie. Walkerville High's star baseball player from his first game as a freshman, he was now considered easily the best player in the area as a senior, if not the whole state.

Slowly the crowd sat back down, including Keesha. Since becoming Ralphie's girlfriend again, she was a regular fixture at his games whenever she didn't have commitments to the paper. At first, this wasn't a problem for her. She even enjoyed it despite never liking baseball. Lately though, something felt off, and going to the games started feeling like a chore. As such, Keesha was spending the games thinking long and hard about her and Ralphie's relationship.

That thinking got even more complicated earlier that week during lunch. Seemingly on impulse, Ralphie stood up in front of the whole cafeteria with an important announcement.

"Fellow Walkerville Wildcats! I am happy to announce that I have accepted a baseball scholarship to _The _Ohio State University!" The cafeteria erupted in cheers. When they subsided, Ralphie led the room in the ubiquitous O-H! I-O! chant, which just resulted in more cheering.

Back at the gang's regular lunch table, Dorothy Ann folded her arms in annoyance. "No one cared when I got a full academic scholarship to Ohio State."

"That's because no one cares about nerds. Duh," replied Wanda matter-of-factly.

As the rest of the gang congratulated Ralphie or continued bickering, Keesha sat there lost in thought. The announcement confirmed what Keesha already knew, that her and Ralphie would be going to different colleges. Yes, Ashland and Ohio State were only eighty miles or so away, but given how different their lives were going to be, those eighty miles were a chasm. Keesha liked Ralphie. She liked him a lot, but deep down she knew she didn't feel for him strong enough to consider trying a long distance relationship. She suspected he felt the same. Thus, she knew what she had to do.

After the game, Keesha hung around and waited for Ralphie. When the tall, brown haired boy saw her, he beamed as he greeted her with a kiss. "Great game, right Keesh?"

Keesha smiled back, but with a lot more restraint. "Yep, great job as always."

"Thanks. It's amazing! A scholarship to Ohio State! I've always wanted to be a Buckeye."

"I know. That's great. But, uh, we need to talk."

Ralphie's hundred watt smile petered out upon hearing that. He sat down on the bleachers. "Is this what I think it's about?"

"Ralphie, I like you a lot. You know that," Keesha started with a bit of panic in her voice.

"But we're going to different schools, and you don't think a long distance relationship would work," Ralphie finished.

"How did you know?"

"Because I'm not dumb. You don't think I haven't thought about the same thing?"

Keesha grimaced. "You're right. I'm sorry. What do you think?"

Ralphie rubbed the back of his neck, his habit when he got nervous. "I like you a lot too Keesh. You're by far the best girlfriend I've ever had."

Keesha smiled. "Thanks. I feel the same way about you."

More neck rubbing. "But…"

"But…"

"Long distance is really hard, especially given all the other changes in our lives. If I, uh, really really cared about you, maybe I'd say try it, but I'm not sure I do."

"Love, Ralphie, the word you were looking for is love, and if you can't say it, then that's probably not how you feel."

Ralphie looked down at his feet. "Are you mad at me?"

"What? Of course not. I'm not sure that's how I feel about you either."

The two sat in silence, the only sound coming from cars going by.

"So, are we done?" Ralphie asked with a mixture of fear and purpose, but mostly fear.

"Probably," replied Keesha with just as much fear. "I mean, if we aren't going to continue this at college, we might as well rip off the band-aid now. There is one more thing though." She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. "Will you still go to Prom with me?"

For the first time in the conversation, Ralphie smiled. "There's no one else I'd rather go with."

The two locked arms and Keesha rested her head on Ralphie's shoulder. They stayed that way for a while until Ralphie said, "Besides, everyone knows Phoebe is your true love anyway." Keesha playfully smacked his arm for that.

* * *

As their daughters became closer and closer, Keesha's mother (and grandmother) and Phoebe's father found themselves getting to know each other as well. While nowhere close to best friends, the Franklin and Terese adults were friendly with each other. This would prove necessary, as what they were about to request required a united front.

The two families were having dinner together (something they occasionally did), when Keesha's mother spoke up.

"Girls, just to make it clear, we're all happy for you going to Ashland together."

Phoebe smiled in thanks, but Keesha pursed her lips. She knew something was up.

Mrs. Franklin continued, "However, we do think it would be a good idea if you don't live together, at least not as freshmen."

"What? Why?!" yelled Keesha.

"Um, do you agree, Daddy?" Phoebe asked softly.

Mr. Terese took that as his invitation to speak. "Yes pumpkin, I do. College is about trying new things, finding yourself, and meeting new people. We think that would be easier for you both if you didn't room together."

Keesha's eyes glowered in fury. "Are you trying to say Phoebe and I shouldn't see each other at college?"

Her grandmother jumped in. "No sweetie, of course not," she said in a calm voice. "We know how important your friendship is to each other, and we never want to see that suffer."

"Keesha, I thank God every day that you're in my daughter's life," Mr. Terese added.

"But," the younger Mrs. Franklin finished. "We all feel it would best if you two branched out and met other people while at school. We fear if you live together you'll just stay in a self-created bubble and not make new friends or explore things individually. All we're asking is one year living apart. After that, if you both want to live together, we won't stop you."

Silence hung in the air as the girls thought about it. Finally, Keesha asked if they could be excused. Her mother agreed and the girls headed to Keesha's bedroom.

Keesha wasted no time. "What do you think?"

Phoebe hesitated. "I don't know."

"C'mon Pheebs, I know we haven't talked about this yet, but do you want to room together next year?"

"Of course I do! But, maybe our parents are right."

Keesha internally groaned, not surprised. Unlike the rest of the gang, Phoebe never really developed the typical teenage urge to rebel. "And maybe they're wrong and we'll be just fine," Keesha said out loud.

For a few moments, Phoebe didn't say anything, lost in thought. Keesha stood there trying to stay patient.

"I agree with them," Phoebe finally said in the most confident voice she could muster.

Keesha frowned "Why?" she grumbled.

"Well, as I thought about it, I realized that a different roommate gives me an in to making new friends at college. You, you're not going to have any problem doing that." Phoebe turned away, as if ashamed. "For me though, it's really hard. I don't know what I would've done if you all hadn't fallen into my lap that year with Ms. Frizzle. I've talked with DA and Tim, and both their older sisters made lifelong friends in college. I want that."

Phoebe turned back towards Keesha and grabbed her hands. "You're my best friend, and I hope we're best friends forever, but this is my chance to make new friends and find myself. It scares me to death, but I have to try. I hope you understand."

Keesha gave Phoebe an understanding smile. "Of course I do. If that's what you want."

"So you're willing to do what our parents say?"

"Yes, but not for them. I'll do it for you."

Phoebe threw her arms around Keesha. "Thank you. Sophomore year, we can room together. I promise."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

* * *

Even though any 18th birthday was going to be a big deal, so far Phoebe's was like most of her previous ones. Carlos was making stupid jokes. Wanda was complaining about her birthday being last among the group. Tim was quietly doodling something that he would later give to Phoebe. Everyone had donated to the animal shelter in her name. Keesha was keeping everyone in line, and they ate the chocolate cake Phoebe baked. It was all Phoebe wanted, no extra fuss. Everything in her and her friends' lives was about to change, and she wanted to keep things the same as long as possible.

For most of the party, that was exactly what happened, and Phoebe was perfectly content. The cake had just been devoured, and Phoebe was ready to see everyone off when she was stopped by Carlos.

"Sit back down Pheebolino. We have one more thing for you."

Phoebe arched her eyebrow. "You do? But you guys already showed me what you donated to the animal shelter. What else could there be?" Just then, Arnold and Ralphie reentered the room carrying two fairly large boxes. Phoebe eyed them with suspicion. "What's that?"

"Open it and find out," replied a smirking Wanda.

Phoebe continued to look confused, gazing at each of her friends to try and gain any clues. Alas, all seven remained neutral, giving away nothing. Finally, she opened the two presents to reveal a new desktop computer and printer.

The auburn haired girl gasped. "Guys, you…you shouldn't have."

"Well, we wanted do and we did," Carlos declared.

"Yeah Pheebs," Arnold continued. "You're going to need your own computer and printer, and we all decided to pitch in and get you one."

Phoebe blushed. "Um, thanks guys, but you didn't have to. Daddy and I have been saving some money for college expenses. I could've gotten some used equipment, and if not, I could've made do somehow."

Keesha put an arm around her best friend. "Pheebs, we've watched you make do for the last ten years. For once, we figured you shouldn't have to make do. Take the money you've saved and spend it on other stuff you need."

Upon hearing that, Phoebe swallowed hard before the tears began to flow. "Thank you guys so much! You're the best friends I could ever have!" She went around the room hugging each of them.

The heartwarming moment didn't last long though. Once the hugging was finished, Wanda turned to DA, "That'll be five dollars, please." DA sighed and slapped the money into Wanda's hand in disgust.

"Do we even want to know?" Tim asked.

"Oh, I bet DA five dollars Phoebe would cry after we gave her her present," Wanda said triumphantly. "You know DA, for someone so smart, that was a really stupid bet to take."

"I know, I know," groaned DA. "I put way too much faith in our Pheebs keeping it together."

The rest of the gang rolled their eyes. Except for Ralphie, who used the commotion as a cover to go get the last slice of cake.

* * *

Keesha put the finishing touches on Phoebe's face. Upon completion, she took a step back and exclaimed "Ta da!"

Phoebe looked in the mirror and smiled. "It looks great! Thank you so much." It was prom night, and the Twins were at Keesha's house getting ready. Keesha did Phoebe's makeup at Phoebe's behest. With that done, the two declared themselves ready and went downstairs to head to DA's house, where their dates would meet them. Ralphie was going with Keesha, as they agreed despite the break up. Tim had agreed to take Phoebe on the grounds that she was the least likely to make him dance. Arnold and DA were going together, as they had been dating the second half of the year. That left Carlos and Wanda, a combination which worried everyone.

Before Keesha and Phoebe could leave the house though, Keesha's mother and grandmother insisted they pose for pictures (Phoebe's dad had come to terms with his daughter growing up earlier in the evening). With their plastered, but mostly legitimate, smiles, the two stood for the endless shuttering of the cameras. Keesha was wearing a green dress, Phoebe a red one. The two were now the same height, owing to Keesha wearing heels while Phoebe opted for her Birkenstocks. Once the two Mrs. Franklins finished taking pictures, Keesha's grandmother came up to her.

"Before you go, I want to take a look at my granddaughter." She grabbed Keesha's face. "I'm so proud of you, such a confident and self assured young lady. Have a great time tonight."

"Thanks Grandma."

Mrs. Franklin let go of Keesha and turned to Phoebe. "And now my other granddaughter."

Upon hearing that, Phoebe smiled as wide as she could. Keesha winced, not out of jealously, but out of fear Phoebe would start crying and ruin her mascara.

Luckily, Phoebe found a way to keep it together even as Mrs. Franklin took a hold of her face. "I can't put into words how happy I am that you've been in Keesha's life. I hope you stay as sweet as you are forever."

"Thank you, Mrs. Franklin," croaked Phoebe.

With that, the elder Mrs. Franklin let go of the girls. Keesha's mother saw them off. "Have a great time girls, but remember to be smart and make good choices."

The girls nodded and headed to DA's. After some last minute finishing touches, they waited for the limo they had rented (courtesy of the largesse of the Perlstein and Parker families). The boys were already inside.

"Bad news ladies, they replaced the champagne with non-alcoholic stuff," Carlos warned.

"Somehow, I think we'll live, Carlos," replied DA dryly.

"She's right dude," Tim added. "The afterparty will take care of all that."

Ralphie high fived him. "You're the man, Tim!"

The eight chatted amicably during the limo ride to the hotel where prom was being held, all in an attempt to conceal their nerves at such a big night.

As the dance went on, Keesha and Ralphie got their groove on. They knew after tonight, the dating part of their relationship was over, but having made peace with that, it was time for some fun.

For their part, Phoebe and Tim were sitting at the table the group commandeered for themselves. They weren't saying much. Tim was content to draw Carlos and Wanda, who were doing whatever they felt like. At the moment, Carlos was holding Wanda by her ankles while she walked on her hands in the middle of the dance floor.

"And they're not even drunk yet. I think," Tim noted as he drew. He was so engrossed that he didn't realize Phoebe wasn't paying attention. Her focus was on the last couple, Arnold and DA, who were awkwardly but pleasantly dancing. She wasn't sure how they got together, other than the fact that DA was the last of the gang Arnold hadn't dated. Phoebe had to admit it kind of worked, although she didn't get the impression it was all that serious. Both of them were going to Ohio State in the fall, but from what she had been told, they did not intend to continue the relationship in Columbus.

At that moment, Keesha came to the table and sat down, as her and Ralphie took a break and he went to the bathroom. She noticed Phoebe's forlorn look and immediately guessed the problem.

"Wondering why that isn't you dancing with him, isn't it?"

Phoebe glared at her. "How did you know?"

"Because other than Tim, you haven't dated anyone since breaking up with Arnold. I know you. You were probably fantasying about prom night with him since you were eight."

"I'm sitting right here, you two," said Tim with a smirk.

"Sorry," said Phoebe. At Keesha, she shook her head. "I'm beginning to think we know each other a little too well."

"No yo don't. Look Pheebs, you broke up with him for a reason. Twice, might I add. You've moved on. Don't backslide now."

"I'm not backsliding! I'm just…wondering a little what might have been."

Keesha squeezed Phoebe's shoulder. "It's OK. I think we're all doing that in some way right now."

As the Twins mulled that over, the rest of the gang was heading over for a break. Carlos and Wanda had stolen a tray of cheese and crackers for everyone to eat. DA took the moment to stand up and address everyone.

"Guys, I don't know if you've noticed, but we spent a lot of time in high school dating each other."

"No DA, can't say I have," replied Carlos sarcastically.

"Shut up Carlos!" DA shot back. She calmed herself down and continued. "Well, none of those relationships worked out for various reasons. Despite that, we're all still friends. Do you know what that means?"

"There wasn't nearly enough sex involved?" Wanda asked, which caused the more sheepish members of the gang to take a sudden interest in the table.

"No," DA said flatly. "It means that it's clear that the eight of us were meant to just be friends. This dating thing just confuses everything."

"Agreed," Ralphie quickly added. Keesha gave him a look, but ultimately nodded her agreement as well. One by one, the gang realized DA was right. Most of them had suspected that was the case, but hearing it out loud just crystallized those thoughts.

"OK, with that settled, let's party!" declared Carlos. He grabbed Wanda and they went off to create more mayhem. The other six looked at each other a moment.

"Want to dance?" Ralphie asked to no one in particular. When his friends turned their gazes towards him, he clarified. "I mean in general. Just all of us. Together."

Keesha stood up. "I like that idea." One by one the rest of the gang, even Tim, got up. Save for interludes to keep Carlos and Wanda in line, the group stayed self-contained for the rest of the evening. They spent their high school careers, their childhoods really, together. It was only appropriate they spent Prom night as one group.

* * *

Clad in her cap and gown, Phoebe clapped for each of her fellow graduates as their names were called to pick up their diplomas. The students were being called in alphabetical order. When she heard "Keesha Marie Franklin," Phoebe stood up and cheered in exuberation. This earned her plenty of strange looks.

As she sat back down in embarrassment, a guffawing Ralphie, sitting next to her, tapped her arm.

"Are you going to do that for all of us?"

"Um, maybe not to that extent."

Ralphie laughed until his face suddenly perked up as if he just realized something, which is exactly what happened. "Wait, isn't your middle name Marie too?"

"Yeah."

"That explains how you two are so close I bet! You really are sort of twins!"

"Yeah, maybe Ralphie," replied Phoebe, humoring him while not letting on she thought the same thing when her and Keesha first met.

One by one, the gang was called up to receive their diplomas and officially graduate. Unfortunately for Phoebe, she was last alphabetically, which gave the group plenty of time to plot. When "Phoebe Marie Terese" was called, the gang whooped and hollered as loud as they could, drowning out all others. Thus, as Phoebe went to claim her diploma, anyone taking a photo of it would have discovered a shade of red that no one had seen on human skin before.

After the ceremony came the myriad of pictures. The gang had just taken one last photo of just themselves before heading home to change for the afterparty. The last two remaining were Keesha and Phoebe.

"Wow. We made it," said Phoebe with wonder.

"Yeah. Go figure," Keesha replied. She put an arm around her best friend. "Thanks for going through it with me."

Phoebe countered with an arm of her own. "You're welcome, but I should be thanking you. I never would've gotten through everything without you."

"Don't sell yourself short. You've always been there for me."

The two stood silently for a moment, but did not break their half-embrace. Phoebe had a look on her face that Keesha knew well. It meant Phoebe had something to say but hadn't gathered up the courage to say it yet. Keesha gave her a gentle back rub to try and help with the anxiety.

Finally, Phoebe blurted out, "Keesh, I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"The future. We're all going to be in different places."

"Pheebs, half of us are going to Ohio State. That's not even two hours from where we'll be."

"Yeah, but Carlos will be out of state, and Tim all the way in Boston. I…I just don't want to drift apart."

If Keesha was surprised at Phoebe's unease, she didn't show it. This was something Phoebe had worried about during every major transition. In truth, Keesha was a little scared too.

"We can't guarantee anything. We just have to try, and I think we're going to try a lot harder than most of these people will with their high school friends. We go too far back and have been through too much shit."

Phoebe smiled and began to relax a little, which Keesha took as a sign her reassurance was working. "And remember, we have each other, and that's not changing."

The auburn haired girl's smile got a little bigger, and she moved in to fully embrace Keesha. "See, there you are helping me again."

"Anytime, Pheebs. Anytime."

* * *

**A/N: **I looked it up, and Ashland is currently $30,000 a semester. Given the exorbitant increase in tuition over the past decade, $20,000 seems like a decent enough guess for what it was in 2003/04.

Yes, the Burger-Off is mostly ripped part and parcel from Ron and Chris's competition from the _Parks and Recreation_ episode Soulmates.

To recap the gang's college destinations for those that haven't read _Twenty Years On_, Keesha and Phoebe: Ashland; Arnold, DA, Ralphie, and Wanda: Ohio State; Carlos: Purdue; Tim: Boston Fine Arts College (which isn't real, but is the school Jane was heading to at the end of _Daria_).

Next: College begins. I'm hoping to keep this to just two or three chapters so as not to make the pacing problem worse.


	8. College (Part One)

**A/N:** To reset things, my current plan is for college to be three chapters. This one is just freshman year. The next two will be three semesters each. Then I plan on two "adult" chapters to close things out. I've had a planned endgame since I started, one that will be familiar to those who have read my other stuff.**  
**

Also to reset, the gang are the college Class of 2008, and thus we pick things back up in August 2004.

* * *

For an early afternoon in late August, the weather couldn't have been more perfect – low 80s and not much humidity. This was a welcome development for freshmen move-in at Ashland University. Keesha and Phoebe arrived around one in Keesha's car, which was packed to the gills with as much of their things as it could handle. Accompanying them were Keesha's parents in another car, and Phoebe's dad and uncle in still another vehicle, each of which also contained as much of their daughters' things as possible.

The physical portion of the move-in wasn't that horrible, except for Keesha's father and Phoebe's uncle, who had heavy lifting duties. The two girls did end up in the same dorm, albeit on different floors. By three, everything had been unloaded. For the parents, now came the hard part.

On the third floor, Keesha closed her door in case of waterworks from her parents. Surprisingly though, she found herself tearing up as she faced them.

"Well, I guess this is it," she half-said, half-stammered.

"I guess so," replied Mr. Franklin with an edge in his voice. He reached over and tightly embraced his daughter. "I'm so proud of you. I know you're going to be great at whatever you do. I love you."

"Thanks Dad. Love you too." Keesha smiled as she bit her lip. Her mother came over and held Keesha just as tight, also fighting back tears.

"Have fun, but please be careful, and try and call us once in a while. Love you."

Keesha laughed in spite of herself. "I will. Take care of Grandma. Love you."

As her parents left, they shut the door behind them, leaving Keesha alone to wait for her roommate and to wonder why that had been so hard for her. As she sat on her bed pondering what to do next, a thought crept up: _If it was this hard for me, how is Phoebe handling it?_

One floor down from Keesha, Phoebe's Uncle Dave quickly said his goodbyes and closed the door behind him, leaving his brother and niece alone. Phoebe's roommate's stuff was there, but she had yet to be seen, so it was just the two of them.

The two Tereses sat on Phoebe's bed, father with his arms around his daughter. Unlike the Franklins, their tears flowed. If there was one big difference between the two families, it was that one was reluctant to show emotion while the other almost always showed it openly.

The two sat wordlessly until Mr. Terese spoke up. "We should probably get going, as much as I don't want to let you go." He kissed Phoebe on the head. "I love you."

"I love you too. I'll be sure to call often."

Mr. Terese chuckled. "I'm sure you will, but don't worry about me. I'll manage. This is your time to shine and grow, and I can't wait to see what an amazing young woman you'll become. Not that you're not already one."

"Thanks Daddy."

"Welcome pumpkin." Mr. Terese stood up. He and Phoebe shared one more hug before he left. When the door closed, Phoebe flopped onto her bed and tried to stifle her crying.

* * *

An hour later, Phoebe had calmed down and was sitting at her desk. In her hands was her new cell phone (a gift from the Franklins, who put her on their plan). Phoebe kept looking at it, wondering if she should call Keesha. Her mind was also racing with all the things she had to do: figure out where her classes were and how to get there, get her books, find a job (work study was part of her aid package), and the scariest of all, meet people. It was all so overwhelming. Normally, Phoebe wouldn't hesitate to call her best friend, but she was trying to be considerate, knowing Keesha had her own things to worry about.

Phoebe's internal battle was interrupted when she heard a key turning at the door. Her roommate had finally come back from wherever she had been. The door opened and that's when Phoebe laid eyes on the most beautiful girl she had ever seen.

Phoebe tried not to stare at the girl's perfect, just below the shoulder length brown hair as she came up to her and stuck her hand out. "Hi, you must be my roomie. I'm Christine."

"Hi! I'm Phoebe." She tried to sound normal as she met Christine's hand and shook. She tried to sound normal while she examined Christine's angelic face that didn't appear to have a single blemish.

Christine continued, unaware Phoebe was marveling at her curves and overall body shape. "Sorry I wasn't here sooner. I got in pretty early, so I decided to take a walk around campus." She continued with the small talk like it was the most natural thing in the world. "I'm from Canton? Where are you from?"

"Um, Walkerville, near Columbus," Phoebe stammered out, having been distracted by Christine's cut-off shorts and perfectly tanned, toned legs.

Christine smiled, starting to sense Phoebe's nervousness. "I don't know about you, but moving in has made me hungry. Want to get an early dinner at the caf and get to know each other?"

Phoebe smiled back, trying to give herself a chance not to feel inferior in the presence of her new roommate. "Sounds good."

As the duo headed to the cafeteria, Phoebe thought of inviting Keesha, but quickly dismissed it. _She's probably busy, and this is something I need to start doing on my own._

Back on the third floor, Keesha had been helping her roommate move in. Thus, she still didn't know much about her, save that she was an African American girl named Julie. Keesha was still trying to figure out if she should be thrilled to have gotten a black roommate or paranoid that the school did it on purpose.

Once the moving was completed and her parents left, the two finally got a chance to talk. "It's nice to be rooming with a sister," Julie stated, seemingly thinking on the same wavelength.

"Yeah," Keesha agreed. "I liked the campus, but it is pretty damn white around here. Reminds me a little of home, I guess."

"Where's home?" Julie asked.

"Walkerville, near Columbus. I think I hung out with the only other minorities in the damn town. You?"

"Dayton."

Keesha's eyes widened. "Dayton? Wow. This must be a real culture shock."

Julie nodded "It is, but I wanted out of there, and this is where my heart took me, and the heart wants what it wants."

Keesha nodded back. "Sounds like something Phoebe would say." She noted Julie's confused look. "My best friend. She goes here too."

"That's cool. I don't know anyone here. When I decided to come here, I thought it would be exciting. Now that it's real, it's a little overwhelming."

"Well, let's do some exploring," Keesha suggested. "Show the rest of these people that these sisters are going to be the coolest people on this campus."

Julie laughed. "I think this living arraignment is going to work."

* * *

As the early weeks of the semester went by, Keesha and Phoebe tried to settle into routines. Unfortunately, that meant not seeing each other as much as they would have liked. To rectify that, the two figured out where their schedules allowed and agreed to meet for lunch every Wednesday. Julie joked that it made them seem like an old married couple, but neither cared.

On this early October Wednesday, Keesha wasted no time after their greeting to share her latest news. "I joined the school paper yesterday."

Phoebe grinned. "That's great! I'm sure you'll do amazing!"

"Thanks," Keesha grinned back, always grateful for Phoebe's support. "Sucks being bottom of the totem pole again, though." Her grin faded.

Phoebe remained chipper. "I'm sure you'll move up quickly. No one works harder at being a journalist than you."

"Thanks Pheebs. How are things going with you?"

Now it was Phoebe's turn to frown. "Um, they're going."

Keesha gave her a look before probing further. "How are classes? Did you find a job yet? How's the roommate?"

Phoebe put her hands up. "One at a time, please! I'm not one of your interview subjects! Don't interrogate me!"

Keesha's face softened. "I'm sorry. I'm just trying to make up for lost time."

"It's OK," Phoebe mumbled. "Classes are OK. Not much is interesting me though, even the English class." Not sure on what exactly to major in, Phoebe for the moment picked English essentially by default. "The library hired me, but they don't give me a lot of hours. I may have to find something outside the school."

"Damn. Sorry Pheebs." Keesha paused. "And the roommate?"

Phoebe let out a long sigh. "Christine is nice, but…I don't know. We haven't really connected. She's just so…put together and perfect. I don't feel I measure up." Phoebe suddenly snapped her fingers in realization. "She's like Janet, but nice."

Keesha's face contorted in thought. "Do you think she's judging you?"

"I…I don't think so, but again, we don't connect. She's already made lots of friends, and when they come over to our room, I feel like a third wheel. Christine tries to include me, but it's always awkward, and some of her friends clearly don't want me there." She sighed again and looked down at her salad.

Keesha gave Phoebe a sympathetic look as she mentally kicked herself for not including Phoebe more with what she was doing. "I'm sorry you're struggling Pheebs," she said out loud. "But don't give up. You can get through. You're one of the toughest and bravest people I know."

"I don't know about that. I never faced a T-Rex like Arnold."

"OK, you're at least braver than Ralphie."

"True."

Both let out a wistful sigh as they thought of their friends, but let it pass quickly as they continued their lunch.

* * *

Keesha put the finishing touches on her makeup and outfit, both receiving a thumbs up from Julie. Keesha took a look at her roommate and responded with a thumbs up in kind. The Black Student Union on campus was holding a mixer that night, and both girls were looking forward to meeting some of the other African American students on campus. The two were about to leave when there was a knock on their door. Keesha opened it to reveal Phoebe standing on the other side.

"Hey Pheebs," said Keesha with some surprise, having not expected her to show up at that moment.

"Hey Keesh!" replied Phoebe with a smile that seemed a little too pat. "Um, I was just wondering what you were up to."

Keesha gave her a funny look. "Julie and I are about to head the Black Student Union mixer." For whatever reason, Keesha found herself stressing the world _Black_.

"Oh! That sounds fun!" Phoebe gave her best friend a sheepish look. "Um, can I come too?"

Keesha let out a pained sigh. "Pheebs, you know I'd normally say yes, but this is mostly for African American students to get to know each other, without…" She paused, choosing her words carefully. "Where we can be ourselves."

"I understand, but we haven't hung out a lot lately…"

Phoebe's plea was cut off by a now angry Keesha. "No you don't!" She took in Phoebe's look of fear, but pushed right through it. "You have no idea what it's like to have people stare at you like you're trouble. You weren't there the time my grandmother and I got accused of shoplifting with no evidence. You didn't have people try and get you and Tim together in high school because it 'made sense.' Remember when I came with you to church?" Phoebe forced herself to nod. "You didn't notice the looks I got there, each one making it clear I didn't belong. Now we're here and it's almost like high school in that there are very few that look like me or Julie. We want to go meet who is because they're the ones who understand. So, no Phoebe, you can't come, and if you don't understand…Actually, I don't care if you understand. The answer is no."

Keesha took a few deep breaths to calm down. Julie was looking at Phoebe with a mixture of disgust and pity, while Phoebe stared at the floor in embarrassment. Finally, she managed to stammer. "OK. I'm sorry. See you later." She ran from the room as fast as she could.

When they could no longer hear Phoebe's rapid footsteps, Keesha sat at her desk chair and buried her face in her hands. "I hated every second of that."

Julie got up and patted Keesha on the back. "I'm sure, but you had to do it. She was out of line. Some best friend."

That last line got Keesha's attention. She pulled her head out of her hands and looked Julie in the eye. "Look, Phoebe screwed up, and yes, I'm mad at her, but we've never talked about that stuff before. It never came up. She didn't know, and she's struggling and a little lonely right now. So, I get it. It doesn't excuse her thoughtlessness, but I get it. Give Phoebe another chance. She's the kindest, most compassionate person I've ever met. She won't do anything like that again. I promise."

Julie didn't look completely convinced, but nevertheless nodded in agreement. "OK, if you're willing to defend her even while mad at her, she must be someone special." She grabbed her purse. "Now, let's get to this party."

The next day Keesha was coming back to her dorm after running some errands. She opened the door, and to her surprise, found Julie and Phoebe talking over a plate of cookies.

Phoebe gave her best friend a big smile. "Hey Keesh. Want a cookie?" She offered the plate.

"Um, sure, Pheebs." Keesha grabbed one. "What's going on?"

"Well, I felt awful about last night, so I baked these cookies as a peace offering to both you and Julie," Phoebe began. "Keesha, I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am. I just never thought about it, never stepped into your shoes to see what it's like for you. I promise to do better, and to respect when you, and Julie, don't want to hang out."

"Thank you Pheebs. I know you weren't trying to be mean. Race has never been an issue between us. There was never a reason to discuss it." The two best friends pulled in for a hug. Once they broke the embrace, Keesha turned to Julie. "And how do you factor in this?"

"When I saw the cookies, I let Phoebe in," Julie replied with a smile. "We had a nice talk. I didn't realize you two had quite _that_ much history."

"So, you two are cool now?" Keesha asked.

"Yeah, I'll give her another chance." Julie paused. "Actually, I was going to once I tasted one of these cookies. They are amazing."

Keesha laughed. "Phoebe's baking will do that."

* * *

Yawning after almost every step, Phoebe trudged back to her dorm. The convenience store chain she worked last year in Walkerville had a store in the town of Ashland. She had gotten a job there to supplement her financial aid, the search for work study having ended without ever getting enough hours to make it worthwhile. It was nearing midnight on a Friday and Phoebe was exhausted after combining a full day of classes with a full work shift. She approached her door, and was about to open it…

…when she noticed the sock on the door.

"Damn it!" she yelled in abject frustration. She still didn't understand why Christine couldn't have sex in the guy's room for once. One day Phoebe would barge in there and assert herself, but it would not be tonight. Too tired to fight, she headed to the lounge to try and get some sleep there.

* * *

Finals were quickly approaching, but Keesha was tired of studying. She headed down to the second floor to see Phoebe. Despite Keesha's intentions, school and the paper had kept her from seeing her best friend much lately. She felt bad about it, enough that she figured a surprise visit would be a good idea.

Keesha arrived at Phoebe's dorm and knocked on the closed door.

"Christine's not here!" was the response. The door stayed closed.

"No, Phoebe! It's me!" Keesha said back. She expected the door to open immediately, but it took a minute (which felt like an hour) before it actually did.

"Hey Keesh." Phoebe tried to smile, but the halfheartedness was obvious.

"Hey Pheebs. Everything OK?"

"Um yeah, I guess."

Keesha was not fooled. "C'mon. What's wrong?" She realized something. "Why did you assume the knock was from someone who wanted your roommate?"

"Because it always is."

That hit Keesha right in the gut. "Damn Pheebs. I'm sorry."

"No, it's OK. You're busy."

Keesha knew it wasn't OK, but for the moment decided to drop it. "Where's Christine now?"

"Out with her friends at some sort of party."

"Why didn't you go?"

Phoebe sighed. "I wasn't invited. I mean, Christine acted like she wanted to, but her friends were quite clear they didn't want her 'lame loser roommate' there. That was that."

"Christine didn't defend you? That bitch!"

"No Keesh, don't be like that. She's not the bad guy here. She's just caught in the middle."

Keesha looked at her with sympathy. "Well, the hell with them. Let's hang out tonight. Just the two of us. It's been too long."

Phoebe gave her a sad smile. "It has. Let's get some coffee and talk for a while. I need a break from studying."

"Sounds good."

* * *

Thanksgiving break came and went like a blur, too quick for the old gang to get together as one. They held out hope for their Winter Breaks, but reality slapped them hard when Tim decided it made more sense financially for him to stay in Boston. The group lost another one before they could all meet when the Perlsteins decided to spend the holidays in Florida. Time continued to run short, as Ralphie's break would end early so he could head back to Ohio State for the start of baseball practice. Thus, the remaining six quickly made sure they were all free for New Year's Eve, which they spent at Ralphie's house.

"Damn, your mom took the liquor cabinet key with her again," Carlos lamented.

"Did you really expect any different?" scoffed Ralphie.

"Chill out Carlos, I got the hook up," said Wanda as she grabbed a bottle of vodka from her pack.

As the boys cheered, DA gave Wanda a stern look. "Isn't stuff like that why you're not coming back to school next semester?"

"What?" Phoebe gasped. "Wanda? How?"

Wanda shrugged. "Away from home for the first time. Like to party. It happens. I transferred to Walker State. My mom insists I need to be 'kept an eye on.'" She opened the vodka bottle and took a large swig. In response, Keesha grabbed the bottle.

"OK, I think you're done with this for now."

"Hey!" Wanda yelled in protest.

"You can have more later, but you're not keeping control of the bottle." Keesha looked around trying to find someone to trust with the alcohol. She eventually handed it to Phoebe. "Please keep us from getting too wasted," she instructed.

Phoebe nodded and left the den to grab glasses and potential mixers.

"Come back here!" yelled Wanda. She went after Phoebe, but was stopped by Ralphie.

"Simmer down there. She'll be back. Phoebe's not that much of a square."

"I heard that!" came the voice from the kitchen.

The conversation turned back to small talk before Phoebe returned with a look of fire in her eyes. She set the glasses down, put the vodka to her lips, and took a mighty swig.

"Oh shit!" Carlos exclaimed. Everyone else was too stunned to say anything. Keesha stood up and raced to take the bottle from Phoebe. The auburn haired girl didn't resist.

"Pheebs, have you been partying too?" Ralphie carefully asked.

"No! I haven't done fucking shit in college except fail. Fail to make friends. Fail to find a major that interests me. Fail to be anything but the loser and square that I am."

Again, the rest of the group was stunned at the outburst. As one, they looked at Keesha, assuming she had the answer. Unfortunately, she was just as lost as the rest of them. "Would you excuse us," Keesha said, grabbing Phoebe and leading her to the kitchen.

"What the hell is wrong with you? That booze is going to go right through you," Keesha asked in a tone more angry than she meant it to be.

"Everything I was afraid would happen in college is happening!" Phoebe yelled, her posture starting to get wobbly. "Nobody notices me! My roommate ignores me! Tim and Arnold aren't here, so we're drifting!" She paused, tears starting to well. "Even you haven't been around a lot," she said softly.

Keesha embraced Phoebe as the latter began to fully cry. However, if sympathy was what Phoebe was looking for, she was in for a surprise.

"Pheebs, we can tell each other anything, right?" Keesha asked once Phoebe had calmed down a bit. Phoebe nodded, but her gaze turned nervous. Her eyes were starting to get glassy from the alcohol, so Keesha knew she had to make this quick.

"Pheebs, have you been putting yourself out there?"

"Umm..uhh..umm.."

"I'll take that as a no. Listen, it sucks it didn't work out with your roommate, but you can't just mope. Get out there. Join something. Volunteer. Do something. If you don't, you'll just stay miserable and lonely. I can't always be there to hold your hand through social situations. You have to do it on your own, and yes I'm going to tell you this again tomorrow after you sober up."

Phoebe didn't say anything initially, as she seemed to primarily be concentrating on staying upright. Instead, she nodded as she threw herself towards a chair. "I'm OK," she insisted. "I just need to sit down a minute."

"Sure, Pheebs. Do you remember anything I just said?"

"Something about putting myself out there?"

"Good!" Keesha smiled. "Are you thinking about it?"

Phoebe gulped, whether out of nervousness or nausea Keesha wasn't sure. "It's scary."

Keesha's face softened, finally giving her best friend something other than tough love. "I know it is, but you can do it. It's a big world out there, and it needs you."

"Thanks Keesh." Phoebe made another attempt to stand up, but quickly wobbled again. Keesha reacted in time to catch her. She was about to place Phoebe back on the chair, but to her surprise, Phoebe pushed away. "There's something I have to do first."

Phoebe headed back into the living room, where the others were chatting quietly. This was both because they were still struck dumb from Phoebe's outburst, and because they were trying to eavesdrop on the conversation in the kitchen. When their auburn haired friend returned, the group immediately fell silent.

"Hey guys," Phoebe slowly began, having to concentrate on every word. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's OK Pheebs," Ralphie replied. "Everyone has their breaking points." The rest of the gang, even Wanda, nodded their agreement with the sentiment.

"Thanks," Phoebe tried to smile, but quickly covered her mouth with her hand. "Um, I gotta go." She raced to the bathroom. Keesha went to follow her, but was stopped by Dorothy Ann.

"Relax. Have some fun. We'll take turns keeping an eye on her."

Keesha nodded in gratitude as DA headed for the bathroom. Keesha joined Ralphie on the couch and waited for Carlos and Wanda, who used the distraction to grab the vodka bottle and pour everyone shots. The four chatted and sipped the vodka while trying to ignore the retching sounds coming from the bathroom.

* * *

Keesha closed the door of her dorm in disgust, kicked off her heels, and flopped onto her bed. Laying on her own bed reading, Julie looked up and shook her head. "Date didn't go well, I take it?"

"Why are men always such perverts?"

"Because they don't think with the head on top of their bodies."

"Good point." Keesha forced herself off the bed so she could change into her pajamas. "All I wanted was a nice guy to take me to a half-decent dinner and show me a good time without it being about sex right away. Can I get that? No, of course not! Such bullshit. They all want in my pants right away, and it's obvious they think any other 'nice' thing they do means they're owed sex. Fuck that and fuck them." She caught herself. "Not literally of course."

Still on her bed, Julie nodded vigorously. "It's crazy. It was bad in high school, but it's somehow worse here. Do they ever fucking grow up?"

Keesha shrugged. "Hell if I know."

Julie snapped her fingers as if remembering something. "You know, last week in the library I was minding my own business and this guy just comes towards me. You know what he said? 'I hope I haven't forgotten my library card, because I'd like to check you out.'"

Julie's rant was stopped by Keesha doubling over in laughter. "Oh my God. Seriously? That's the worst pick-up line I've ever heard. How the hell did he ever think that would work?"

The laughter proved contagious, and soon Julie was laughing as well. "I have no idea. Dumbass." After catching her breath, she continued. "I guess all we can do is keep trying until we find non-dumbass men."

Keesha picked herself up. "Agreed, but for now, I think I just want to watch a stupid movie and eat junk food."

"I'm down with that," concurred Julie, already heading to the fridge for the ice cream. Keesha grabbed their DVD of _Bruce Almighty_. As they settled in for the night, she made a mental note to text Ralphie thanking him for not being a sex-obsessed dolt when they were dating.

* * *

Keesha took one last check to make sure she had her notebook and tape recorder before approaching the crowd gathering in front of the administration building. A group of students had been attempting for months to get a Gay/Straight Alliance recognized by the school. The religious, conservative administration, however, kept balking at the request. As a result, the group decided to protest. Keesha had been assigned to cover it and interview students for the paper. She slowly worked her way into the crowd, trying to guess a student that could give some good quotes.

She wandered through the group, interviewing as many students are she could. She had gotten plenty from the gay students, but she wanted the perspective of one of the straight allies. She was pointed towards the direction of a taller girl near the front of the crowd. As Keesha headed towards the girl, something about her looked very familiar. The girl's back was to Keesha, but as she got closer, the auburn hair and body type gave away who it was. Keesha tapped the girl on the shoulder, and when she turned around, it confirmed Keesha's suspicions. It was Phoebe, adorned with an "EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL" sign and a rainbow flag painted on each of her cheeks.

"Hey Keesh! You here to protest?"

"No. I'm covering it for the paper."

"Oh good! The more pressure we put on the administration, the better."

"Well, I do have to be evenhanded. It's not an opinion article."

Phoebe flashed a frown before recovering. "I understand. Do you want to interview me?"

"That is what I've been doing, but with you, it's probably a conflict of interest somehow. It's good to see you out and about though. How did you get involved?"

"Thanks! I was walking to class a week ago and saw a table for the Alliance asking for sign-ups. Love is love and I wanted to be a part of it, especially when our so-called leaders think treating people differently because of who they love is right when it clearly isn't." Phoebe paused. "I have to admit, it's been nice getting back into causes. I've been hanging out with some really great people, and they seem to like me too!" Phoebe put up her index finger. "Do you want to interview the head of the Alliance?" She turned towards the head of the group. "Hey James, someone from _The Collegian_ is here…Don't worry, I know her. She'll be fair….Let's go Keesh."

As Phoebe dragged Keesha towards James, the dark haired girl allowed herself one thought before switching back to reporter mode: _I'm glad Phoebe's finally getting out there. This is as happy as she's looked all year._

* * *

Dr. Ackerman gave a nervous looking Phoebe a smile as the latter sat down. In her late forties with a blonde pixyish haircut, Dr. Ackerman was an English professor and Phoebe's academic advisor. Phoebe was there to go over her registration plan for next semester, as required by the university.

"First off Phoebe, it's been a pleasure to have you in my class this semester. Your critique of _Jane Eyre_ was one of the best I've ever read from a freshman."

Phoebe blushed. "Thank you, but I had an advantage. That's been my favorite book since I was fourteen."

"Well nevertheless, it was excellent. However, most of the time, I don't see the enthusiasm we want from our majors. Your grades are fine, but when I see you in class, you don't seem happy."

Phoebe sighed. "It's…it's been a tough transition."

Dr. Ackerman nodded. "You're not the first, and you won't be the last. I'll ask you directly though. Are you happy with being an English major?"

The professor watched the student avert her gaze to the floor and sigh. "No. Don't get me wrong, I love books and writing, but I just can't see it as my career." Another sigh. "I'm sorry."

Dr. Ackerman waved it off. "Don't apologize. It's your life." She grabbed a file from her desk. "I was looking at your admission package Phoebe. Your volunteer work in high school was impressive, and it gave me an idea." She looked directly into Phoebe's eyes. "Have you ever considered majoring in Social Work?"

Phoebe pursed her lips in thought. "Yeah, a little," she conceded. "They're really selective on who they let in, right?"

"They are, but if it's something you might be interested in, I think you should try. From the sound of it, you'd fit right in."

The prospect of fitting in clearly intrigued Phoebe, as her eyes gave away by opening wide. "What would I have to do?"

"Well, first you need to take Intro to Social Work next semester," Dr. Ackerman began. "If you like it, you'll have to formally apply. You'll need to write an autobiographical essay, which I doubt will be a problem for you given your experiences and writing ability. The faculty will also interview you. It won't be easy, but if you find it to your liking, I'm confident you can get in."

Phoebe took a deep breath to take it all in. "Thank you. Let's do it." She left the meeting with the lot of thinking to do, but she was nonetheless excited. Things might be finally falling into place.

* * *

It was the closing days of the semester, and finals were fast approaching. It had been another tiring Friday for Phoebe with class, studying, and a shift at the convenience store. As she headed home, all she could think about was sleep. Unfortunately, she once again came across the telltale sock on the doorknob.

Phoebe growled in annoyance. _Not this time, bitch_, she thought. Before she could think about it and back out, she unlocked the door and threw it open. Mercifully for Phoebe, Christine and her newest boy toy were mostly covered by blankets and sheets. However, it was obvious what was going on.

Christine looked up at Phoebe in rage. "What the hell?!"

Phoebe steeled herself so she wouldn't back down. "Look. It's late. I worked all day, and I'm exhausted. The RAs are tired of finding me sleeping in the study lounge. This is my room too and I'm sick of you monopolizing it." She took a look at the now visibly uncomfortable boy in Christine's bed. "This guy lives in this building. Why can't you go there for once?"

Christine rolled her eyes in annoyance, but she got up and started to pick up her clothes, motioning for her companion to do the same. As they left, the guy turned to Christine. "I thought you said your roommate was a pushover?"

Phoebe didn't hear the response as they closed the door, but that was enough for her to break into a wide smile as she got ready for bed.

* * *

Even though the two had spent the day helping each other unpack their rooms and move back home for the summer, Keesha and Phoebe still found themselves taking a walk together as the sun set that early May evening. Keesha was walking Jake, and couldn't resist stopping by Phoebe's for company. Phoebe for her part was just as eager to tag along. It was during that walk that Keesha realized something.

"How did I forget to ask this? What are you doing all summer?"

Keesha internally winced, as that sounded harsher than she intended. Phoebe either didn't catch it or didn't care though, judging by her expression. "Working mostly. The convenience store is going to give me near full-time hours! I'll be able to bank a good amount of money this summer, and have some to give to Daddy." Her smile turned upside down. "It's been a little harder for him since we don't get my survivors' benefits anymore." Phoebe let the moment of sadness and grief pass before continuing. "And of course I'll make sure to spend some time at the shelter. I missed those little guys." She bent down to pet Jake, who was very excited to have his two favorite humans around again. "What about you Keesh?"

"Well, the fates have conspired against me, and I must finally give up my freedom and get a job." The dark haired girl twirled in mock indignation, causing Phoebe to break out in a fit of giggles.

"Weren't you going to see if the _Post_ has internships?" Phoebe asked once she got her breath back.

"Yeah," Keesha replied with a grin. She had told Phoebe that a month ago. _Still the best listener I've ever met._ "While the paper was impressed with my initiative, they usually look for juniors and seniors for their internships. So I've decided I might as well earn some cash. The grocery store is hiring. I could probably do that in my sleep. I mean, they hired Carlos."

"Carlos…" Phoebe trailed off. "I hope we get a chance to see our friends. It's been harder than I even thought possible. Thank God for whoever invented Facebook and cell phones."

Keesha put her arm around her best friend. "We'll make time. We've got three months here. Oh, that reminds me. We're rooming together next year, right?"

"Of course."

Keesha smiled and nodded. "Good. I told you I was going to hold you to that."

* * *

**A/N:** Ashland is both a majority white school and even now doesn't appear too welcoming of the LGBT community. These are both things I should've taken into account when deciding where K/P were going to go, and the stories dealing with that are my attempt to rectify that.

Yes, this is more or less how one applies to Ashland's Social Work program. I looked it up because this fic about a children's' show about kids going on crazy field trips with their teacher and her magic bus needs realism, damn it!

Next up: Sophomore year and the first semester of junior year


	9. College (Part Two)

**A/N:** In an attempt to speed up this thing, the remaining two college chapters will be three semesters each. Thus, this chapter is the entire sophomore year and fall semester of junior year.

* * *

Move-in day for the Fall 2005 semester at Ashland proved very hot and humid, the dog days of August refusing to relinquish their grip. Luckily for Keesha and Phoebe, they were now seasoned veterans of the moving process and had figured out to only take as much stuff as they absolutely needed. Also making things easier was that everything only had to go to one place, as the two were rooming together as promised.

After saying goodbye to their parents (which was definitely easier this time, as everyone noticed but did not comment on), the two flipped a coin to see who got the top bunk that semester. Phoebe won. They made their respective beds before lying down to get a feel for them. For a while, neither spoke.

"So, what do we do now?" Phoebe asked with slight trepidation, which internally confused her.

"I don't know," replied a just as confused Keesha. She and Phoebe had plenty of sleepovers growing up. Isn't this basically one big sleepover?

"Should we figure out some ground rules?" Phoebe suggested.

Keesha looked up (which only gave her a view of the bottom of the upper bunk) puzzled. "Uh Pheebs, shouldn't we know what not to do?"

"Sorry. I'm having flashbacks to last year." She shuddered.

"I promise to warn you before having sex in here."

"That was mostly what I was getting at."

Keesha got up and climbed up the ladder so she could look at her best friend directly. "Remember what we said years ago about always talking first? How bout we figure out our class schedules and when we prefer to study and all that? That way there are no problems."

Phoebe nodded her agreement, and the two went to work.

* * *

Phoebe sat down in the second row and took a deep breath. It was the first day of her Intro to Social Work course. Over the summer, she read everything she could about the program. Above all else, it was intensive. Phoebe knew she would have to be completely on board to become a major. This was causing her nervousness, as this class would be in many respects her only way of knowing if this is what she truly wanted to do. Given her inability to find anything else that interested her, the stakes were high.

Right on time, the professor entered the room. He greeted everyone and began to describe the class as he passed out the syllabus. Phoebe read it with interest. As that first day made clear, the course was primarily a survey course concentrating on theory. "It will weed out those that do not want to be here," the professor warned. Phoebe heeded the warning, but despite the dryness, found herself fascinated by it all the same. Plus, the more she thought about it, the more this move felt right. She may not have the stomach to be a vet, but what she did have was a bleeding heart (as her friends put it), and this was where she could best use it.

Within a few weeks, Phoebe moved to the front row.

* * *

"You're doing what?"

Phoebe looked up from her studies upon hearing Keesha's incredulous question. On the phone, Keesha listened to the explanation, nodding her head occasionally. "Are you sure that's what you want to do?" More nodding. "OK, if you say so. I know talking you out of it is pointless. Phoebe's here. Do you want to tell her?" Upon hearing the response, Keesha handed the phone to Phoebe. "It's Wanda. She has news."

The auburn haired girl placed the phone to her ear. Before she could spit out a greeting, Wanda announced her news. "I'm joining the Air Force!"

It was Phoebe's turn for incredulous questioning. "You are?! Why?"

"Because I've failed out of two schools in a year and need to do something with my life. The Air Force has planes. I like flying. Good enough."

"Why didn't you say anything before we all went back to school? We would've done something for you?"

"Like what Pheebs? Throw me a damn pity party or something lame like that. I don't feel sorry for myself. I don't need you all feeling sorry for me either."

"It's not that Wanda." Phoebe's voice lowered an octave. "It's just we're fighting two wars right now. What if you get sent over there?"

Wanda laughed off the concern. "Relax Pheebs. I have to go through Basic Training and a whole lot of other stuff first. I'm sure we'll have finished kicking ass by then."

From the other end of the phone, Phoebe's face etched with worry. "OK Wanda."

She thought about saying something else, but at the last minute decided not to. That pause triggered Wanda's impatience "Are we done here? I still have others to call before I ship out."

"Yes, we're done. Good luck and stay safe."

"Thanks Pheebs. You're not always as lame as you look."

"Thanks Wanda, I think." She hung up and looked at Keesha, who could only shrug.

"What can we do? It's Wanda. She does what she wants no matter what anyone else says."

"Yeah I know." Phoebe sighed. "I'm worried about her. Are you?"

Keesha nodded. "Yeah, I am."

* * *

It was a Thursday evening, and the calendar had just turned to November. Keesha and Phoebe were working on an assignment and reading _Wuthering Heights_ respectively. Neither had spoken in quite some time, which was fine with both of them. Their relationship had evolved long past the point where they needed constant chatter. The silence would be broken, however, by the ringing of Keesha's phone.

The dark haired girl gave Phoebe an apologetic look before answering. "Hello…Oh, hi Mom! What's up?...What?...We'll be there as soon as we can."

Keesha hung up and immediately pinched the bridge of her nose in anguish. Phoebe looked up from her book. Sensing something very bad had happened, she climbed off her bed and wrapped her arm around her best friend.

Finally, Keesha let out what the problem was. "Pheebs, Jake's really sick. He's in a lot of pain and they don't think he has much time left. We have to go back home before they…" Keesha buried her face in her hands, unable to finish.

"I'll drive," was Phoebe's response.

The drive from Ashland to Walkerville was tense and silent. Phoebe concentrated her energies on controlling the car, pushing down her pain until it could be expressed. All Keesha could do was stare out the window and try to make sense of it. She had Jake for eleven years now, the little ball of energy beside her for almost nine. Her mother had said something over the phone about a sudden illness. Keesha hoped it wasn't his broken heart about her being away most of the time now.

The two arrived at the Franklin home around ten o'clock. Right away, it was obvious Jake was in bad shape. All he could was lay on the floor in agony and whimper. When he saw Keesha and Phoebe, his tail weakly wagged. He tried to sit up, but his energy failed him. The girls immediately got down on the floor to try and comfort him. From the living room, Keesha's mother and grandmother looked at the scene in pity and concern before heading upstairs to grab pillows and blankets. They knew there was no way the girls were going to sleep away from Jake that night.

The next morning, Keesha and Phoebe held Jake in the back seat as Keesha's grandmother drove to the vet. The girls scratched behind his ear and petted him, hoping it was helping him forget his pain. Keesha held him in her arms as they entered the vet's office, the same vet Phoebe shadowed two years prior.

The vet did a quick check-up on Jake before confirming the diagnosis that nothing else could be done. "Who would like to be in the room with him?" she asked in a soothing voice.

Keesha immediately stepped up. She looked back at Phoebe, who was barely keeping it together. The dark haired girl reached out and grabbed Phoebe's hand, and the two carried Jake into the operating room. Both tried to soothe him as the vet inserted the needle. In return, he gave them one last wag of his tail before the life ceded from his body.

The girls petted him a few more minutes until they could no longer take it. Keesha and Phoebe collapsed sobbing into each others' arms. The vet quietly left the room to give them some space, returning a few minutes later with Mrs. Franklin. She led the girls back to the car while the vet grabbed Jake's body for preparation. It would be returned later in the day so he could be buried in the Franklin backyard.

Save for a few hours visiting Phoebe's dad, the two spent the rest of the weekend in silence, save for the occasional crying jag. They knew they had to let the waves of sadness rush over them before returning to their lives on Monday. No words needed to be said.

* * *

As Phoebe exited the Social Work department office, she took a deep breath. After a whole semester of work, she had done all she could to get accepted into the program. She was almost certain to get an A in her Intro to Social Work class. She had written and re-written and re-written her autobiographical essay, and had Keesha give it a good edit for good measure ("It's amazing, Pheebs. There's no way they won't take you."). The essay discussed both the meager means Phoebe grew up in, and her extensive volunteering since she was a pre-teen. Finally, she just completed her interview with the department faculty. Talking about herself was never Phoebe's strong suit, and at times her nerves showed, but overall she thought it went OK.

The only annoying part left was the wait to see if she would be accepted into the program. Unfortunately, the decision letter wouldn't arrive until winter break, which meant Phoebe would go home for break unsure of her future. She tried to put that in the back of her mind for now, as she still had one more day of Finals to go.

It was a week before Christmas, and the old Frizzle gang was determined to get together. Unfortunately, they were two down once again. Wanda was still at Basic Training. Her holiday leave wouldn't start for another four days, and her family had already claimed all her free time. Dorothy Ann, meanwhile, had yet to return home from a Study Abroad experience. For the other six, it was now or never for various reasons, and thus they had gathered at Arnold's house, taking advantage of his parents spending the evening in Columbus. Well, for the moment, the guys had gathered. Keesha and Phoebe had yet to arrive.

Ralphie had been breathlessly regaling the group on his exploits on the baseball field. He quickly became the best player on the Ohio State squad as a freshman, leading them to the Big Ten tournament title. He was expecting even more this upcoming season. Ralphie continued with his filibuster until Tim got fed up and interrupted him.

"We get it dude, your shit doesn't stink and you're getting all the ladies even you play baseball in the biggest football school in the country," Tim snarked with a grin on his face to show he was being playful.

"Shut up, Mr. Big City. I'm surprised to see you even here after a year and a half in wonderful Bahstan," Ralphie shot back with a similar playful grin.

From across the room, Arnold sighed. "Are you two just gonna rip on each other all night?"

"Relax Arn, we're just messing," Ralphie reassured. Tim nodded his agreement.

"Yeah Arnold, have you forgotten how guy bonding works?" Carlos questioned. "Speaking of this sausage fest, where are the Twins?"

"I hope they're not too awkward around you two anymore," Tim said, looking at Arnold and Ralphie respectively. "Phoebe can bear to be in this house, right?"

"Yeah, she can. Our relationship is ancient history," Arnold replied.

"Besides, if Pheebs would feel awkward around either of us, it would be me," Ralphie added sheepishly. His mother and her father had recently broken up. It was amicable, with both parties saying they just weren't right for each other at the moment, but it left both kids confused. To them, things were going great.

Ralphie recovered and turned to Carlos. "By the way, no one ever said this in high school, but the Twins nickname is kind of weird."

"Why is that?"

"Because it sounds like you're talking about boobs."

"Who says I wasn't?" Carlos asked with his most lecherous look on his face.

_CARLOS!_

Before Carlos could make a bigger idiot of himself, there was a knock on the door. Arnold opened it to find the aforementioned Twins on the other side. Keesha calmly accepted the proffered hug from the curly haired redhead. Phoebe, on the other hand, burst inside with glee.

"I got into the Social Work program!"

The boys erupted in cheers, Ralphie even grabbing Phoebe and twirling her around. When he put her down, the two looked at each other in confusion and awkwardness before slowly backing away.

"Great job Pheebs," Tim quickly said to defuse the weirdness.

"Yeah, that's awesome," Carlos added.

"I can't think of a more apropos major for you, Pheebs," Arnold contributed.

"Apropos? Are those the fancy words they teach the wannabe lawyers?" Ralphie teased.

With that, the boys went back to lobbing mostly friendly insults at each other. Keesha and Phoebe shrugged and giggled before sneaking away to raid Arnold's fridge.

* * *

"You wanted to see me," Keesha declared as she entered the office of the editor of _The Collegian_. Keesha joined the paper early in her freshman year, and had been busting her butt ever since for meatier assignments.

"Yeah, sit down," replied the editor, a senior named Rick. Seated next to him was his number two and the opinion editor, a junior named Justin. Both were white guys. _It's always white guys_, Keesha thought.

"I'll be brief, Keesha," Rick began. "We're impressed with both your work product and drive. Editorships are usually reserved for upperclassman, but we feel you're ready for one already."

Keesha's eyes widened. "Really? Wow. Thank you. What section?" She asked that question with some trepidation. As much as she wanted an editorship, she also didn't want to get pigeonholed into fashion or entertainment or anything else "girly."

"Well unfortunately, Alex caught mono over break and is taking the semester off from the paper to recover. Thus, we need a new sports editor."

"Sports? But I haven't done any sports writing since I got here."

"So what?" Justin countered. "You'll be running the section, not writing for the most part."

"Plus we've heard you around the office. You're not a sports ignoramus." Rick added.

That was all Keesha needed to hear. "Alright then. I accept." She shook Rick's hand.

"All our sports writers are dudes. Got a problem with that?" Justin said in what was half needling and half a challenge.

Keesha rolled her eyes. "No, and if any of them have a problem with taking orders from a girl, they'll be covering cross country meets in the rain."

Rick laughed. "Yeah, I think we promoted the right person."

* * *

Keesha headed to her dorm feeling restless. School and the paper had been monopolizing her time lately, and she was getting a little tired of it. This was supposed to be the best time of her life. She needed to get out and have some fun damn it! Luckily thanks to Julie, she had an in to a party that very night. The trick would be convincing Phoebe to come along.

Keesha opened the door to their dorm to find Phoebe locked in on her computer screen, to the point that she didn't even notice Keesha come in. The dark haired girl figured Phoebe was studying, until she heard singing.

_Bunny and kitty being best friends. Together forever, the fun never ends. Solving mysteries, one hug at a time. Bunny and kitty, two of a kind…_

"Hi Pheebs," Keesha coolly interrupted.

Phoebe wheeled around and her face promptly turned five different shades of red. That broke Keesha, who convulsed into fits of laughter.

"Enjoying yourself there," Keesha deadpanned once she caught her breath.

"It's a cute video," Phoebe replied in a soft, still embarrassed voice. She gestured to the screen, which was in fact showing a cat and a rabbit. At the moment, the cat was licking the rabbit.

"It is cute," Keesha admitted with a smile. "However, if this is what you're doing for entertainment, then you need to get out as much as I do."

"What do you mean?" Phoebe's face froze in fear.

"I mean Julie invited us to a party and we're going and we're going to have a good time because we're college kids and this is what we're supposed to do."

"I was afraid you meant something like that."

"Oh come on, Pheebs! It'll be fun."

"I…I don't know. I won't know anybody."

"You know me and you know Julie. That's two. We'll keep you from floundering all night." Keesha gave Phoebe her most _this discussion is over_ look.

Phoebe let out a deep sigh in response. "Fine." She looked down at the sweats she had on. "Do I have time to figure out what to wear?"

Two hours later, Phoebe took a deep breath as she, Keesha, and Julie headed into the house party. The latter two insisted on being fashionably late, so things were in full swing by the time they arrived. Keesha and Julie headed for the keg, while Phoebe walked in a daze, trying to acclimate to the noise and the dim light. She found a semi-quiet area to stand at while she got her bearings and tried to gather up courage to talk to someone.

The courage had not come by the time Keesha and Julie returned. The former handed Phoebe a Smirnoff Ice. The auburn haired girl eyed it warily.

"Keesh, you know I can't drink. The Social Work program is really strict about that."

"Pheebs, I saw at least one other Social Work major vomiting off the balcony. I think you can survive one drink. There's barely any alcohol in this."

Phoebe sighed, but accepted the proffered beverage. The three girls chatted for a while until Julie noticed something.

"Hey Pheebs, I think that guy over there is checking you out."

"What? No way. He must be looking at one of you guys."

"Yes way," Keesha interjected. She pointed to him. "Look." Phoebe turned to see a brown haired, thinnish boy with an impish grin on his face, a grin that only widened once he saw the object of his affection looking at him.

Phoebe instinctively blushed. "What do I do?" she asked, only to find herself abandoned by her friends. She swiveled her head until she found them hiding behind a couch. _What the hell_, Phoebe mouthed.

_Just giving you some privacy_, Keesha mouthed in reply. _Relax, we're right here if something goes wrong._

Phoebe concentrated on her breathing as the boy approached her. Phoebe was expecting confidence to the point of cockiness. Staring back at her, however, was a boy whose earlier bravado had quickly shattered. Staring back at her now was a very nervous kid who was clearly searching for what to say. Something about that relaxed Phoebe. He was kind of cute, and having them both be nervous leveled the playing field.

"Hey," the boy said with a significant amount of shyness.

"Hey," Phoebe equally returned the shyness.

"My name is Shawn," the boy practically squeaked. "What's yours?"

"Phoebe," she sputtered back. There was an awkward pause before Phoebe got annoyed enough to be direct. "Were you checking me out earlier?"

"Um…yeah," Shawn stammered. "I didn't mean to creep you out. I just thought you were, uh, pretty."

Phoebe gave him a reassuring smile. "You didn't. I was just surprised. I'm not used to boys noticing me."

"Well those other boys are idiots for not noticing your beauty," Shawn shot back, suddenly gaining back some confidence. Phoebe could only blush.

"Um, you want to go outside and talk where it's a little quieter," Shawn suggested, his nervousness returning yet again.

"Sure," Phoebe nodded. As she left with him, she tried to relocate Keesha and Julie. She found them a few feet away with their thumbs up. Phoebe mouthed _Keep watch_. The other two girls nodded and positioned themselves near a window as Phoebe and Shawn went outside.

Phoebe shivered and hugged herself and she felt the evening chill of early April, still wondering if this was a good idea. "So, how do we want to do this?" she asked.

"Let's get the small talk out of the way," Shawn suggested. "Where you are from and what's your major?"

"Walkerville, near Columbus, and Social Work. You?"

"You're near Columbus too? Cool," Shawn grinned. "I'm from New Albany." He paused. "Oh, and I'm a Business Management major, the complete opposite of you do gooders."

"Do gooders? Is that what we're called around campus?"

Shawn let out a grimace and nodded, confirming Phoebe's suspicions. "It's not out of malice. Well, maybe from the Finance majors."

Phoebe laughed and pushed a strand of hair away from her face. She realized that could've been seen as flirtatious, then realized that she may have intended it that way.

"So, you think I'm pretty?" she asked.

"Absolutely," came the reply.

Phoebe smiled again. "Thanks. You're not so bad looking yourself."

"Why thank you, milady," Shawn accepted the compliment, exaggeratingly bowing as he did so. Phoebe found herself laughing once again. It was corny, but sweet too, and at least he was trying to be charming. Phoebe would've expected most other boys to try and reach under her shirt by now.

The laughter emboldened Shawn. "What do you say? Want to get out of here?"

Phoebe instinctively turned defensive. "What do you mean by that? Let me be clear right now, I'm not sleeping with you tonight. We just met."

Now it was Shawn turning red in the face. "Oh no no no! I didn't mean it that way. I mean let's go out for coffee and get to know each other in a quieter setting."

Phoebe's prior defensiveness softened. "I'd like that."

As the two left, Phoebe turned back towards the window where Keesha and Julie were parked. Phoebe saw the other two girls give her big smiles and thumbs up. Once Phoebe was out of view, Keesha and Julie high fived before returning to the party to see if they could pick up men of their own.

Two weeks later, Keesha entered the dorm room after another long day of class and the paper to find Phoebe at the mirror primping herself.

"Woo, look at you Pheebs. Going out with Shawn again?"

Phoebe turned away from the mirror and gave Keesha her widest smile. "Yeah. How do I look?"

"Great." Keesha smiled back. "Third date in two weeks. It must be going well."

"It really is. It's…" Phoebe stopped, but her face getting goofier said more than words ever could. She turned back to the mirror so she could finish what little makeup she wore. Keesha had just enough time to look it over before Shawn arrived. In his hand was a bouquet of flowers.

"Hey Pheebs," Shawn said shyly. "Hello Keesha."

"Hey Shawn!" Phoebe greeted him warmly, giving him a kiss as she took the flowers. "These are beautiful! Thank you!"

"Welcome. They're carnations," Shawn replied when the kiss broke. "Figured roses would be a little much."

As Phoebe giggled, Keesha watched the nascent couple with interest. She felt a pang of jealously, but quickly quashed it. She wasn't going to go down that road again. Phoebe hadn't seriously dated anyone since Arnold. If this turned into a serious relationship, then she deserved that kind of happiness, and Keesha knew that.

"Have a good time tonight. Don't stay out too late," is what Keesha said out loud, the latter sentence in an obviously joking manner.

More giggles from an increasingly giddy Phoebe were the only response as her and Shawn left for their date. Keesha climbed up to the top bunk that was now hers for the semester and lay down. All she could think was _She's falling for him fast. Please be careful Pheebs._

* * *

Another year, another move-in. However, there was added excitement this time around for Keesha and Phoebe, as for their junior year they were moving into an off-campus apartment. Sure, it was a mere three blocks from campus, but it still represented a new step of becoming grown up. They were now in the second half of their college careers, had a little distance between them and campus, and were no longer teenagers. It was time to start spreading their wings a little further.

This time around, their parents left even earlier than last year, early enough that the young women had lunch together before going back to the apartment to arrange it to their liking. By mid-afternoon, the two had finished, and both plopped onto their living room furniture exhausted.

"I can't believe how much more room we have!" Phoebe exclaimed.

Keesha gave her a funny look. "Really, Pheebs? Yes, we have more rooms, but they're all pretty small. I'm still not sure our kitchen actually qualifies as one."

Phoebe shrugged. "I'm used to small living spaces. At least we have our own rooms now."

"The walls are paper thin though. I don't want to hear anything if you and Shawn are having sex."

Her best friend's teasing sent Phoebe hiding under the blanket adorning the couch in embarrassment. "We haven't done…that yet. We're taking it slow."

Keesha got up to yank the blanket away from Phoebe. She gave her a reassuring smile. "Relax Pheebs, I was kidding." Keesha forced the auburn haired girl to a sitting position and rubbed her arms to calm her down. It worked, as it almost always did. "And I'm glad things are going well between you and Shawn. You deserve to be happy."

Phoebe smiled. "Thanks."

The two sat for a while before Keesha spoke up again. "This probably isn't the best time to bring this up, but we need to figure out how we're dividing expenses." Keesha had meant to discuss this over the summer, but Phoebe had spent most of her time either working, volunteering, or with Shawn.

"Oh, I already figured that out. I'll be right back." Phoebe headed into her room and shortly returned with a piece of paper. She handed it to Keesha, who read it with a scowl.

Phoebe noticed, and her expression fell as a result. "Is there something wrong with the numbers?"

"No, this is fine. I'm mad you didn't consult me on it."

"I'm sorry Keesh," replied a contrite Phoebe. "I guess I'm just used to doing household budgets."

"I understand that, but we're in this together, remember?"

Phoebe looked away. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Well, now that we're thinking about it, let's figure out who does what chores and when. Together." Keesha put extra emphasis on that last word.

"Of course." With that, the two headed to the kitchen table to do this year's grunt work of cohabitating.

* * *

_What's with the strange looks?_ Phoebe thought as she entered the lab. For various reasons, she hadn't had a chance to take her required science until now. Today was the first biology lab. That normally wouldn't be a problem, but for some reason, Phoebe caught some dirty looks as she walked in. After a quick thought, she realized all those looks came from the other women in the class.

Phoebe got her answer as to why that was when she looked at the lab partner assignments. She had drawn Casey Adams, and Phoebe immediately understood what was up. Casey was the star tight end of the football team, the Big Man on Campus that seemingly every straight female wanted, and it was clear that the women in this biology class did. Phoebe sighed. _Way to stick together and not uphold stereotypes, ladies. It's not like he'd be interested in me, and even if he was, I have a boyfriend._

Phoebe headed to her assigned lab bench, and shortly after entered the six foot four, broad shouldered, sculpted Casey. He headed towards Phoebe's bench, the women in the class alternating between fawning looks at him and jealous ones at Phoebe.

"Hey, I'm Casey," he greeted Phoebe with a friendly smile and a handshake. "Looking forward to working with you."

"Hi, I'm Phoebe. Same to you." She shook his hand with an equally friendly smile. Casey seemed a little taken aback by the greeting, and Phoebe raised her eyebrows in confusion.

Luckily, Casey noticed the confusion and realized he needed to clarify. "Sorry. I'm not used to anyone on this campus treating me like a normal person and not just this football star or Greek god or whatever."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I just hope I'm looking at a good lab partner."

"I shall try my best." With that, the professor came in and class began. As the weeks went by, it was clear that Casey was in fact a good lab partner, far from a stereotypical dumb jock. Late September presented a new challenge in the form of an outside the lab project. Upon receiving the assignment, Casey sighed.

"What's wrong?" Phoebe asked.

"Oh, it's not a great time for something this big. The meat of our football schedule is coming up. You have no idea how much practice monopolizes my time." He sighed again. "Such is the life I signed up for to go to college for free."

Phoebe though responded to the despair with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. I can work around your schedule. When's the next time you don't have practice?"

"Sunday afternoon. No practice the day after a game. I'll be sore, but I'll push through it."

"That works. Your place or mine?" Some girls near Phoebe and Casey's bench heard that remark and gave Phoebe their most annoyed looks. Phoebe ignored it. Their petty misguided jealously was not worth her time.

"Definitely yours," Casey responded. "I live with two of my teammates. They are not people I enjoy studying around."

Phoebe smiled again. "Perfect." It truly was. Now she could spring her plan into action.

That Sunday, Phoebe was in the kitchen cleaning up after breakfast. Keesha was at the table pecking at her computer, editing the stories from last night's victory for the Ashland football team. Upon hearing a knock, Keesha got up, opened the door, and feasted her eyes on the most athletic, attractive body she had ever seen.

"Um, hi."

"Um, hi," Casey responded, his eyes popping out slightly. He clearly found Keesha as attractive as she found him.

Phoebe took that moment to jump into the situation. "Hey Casey! This is my roommate and best friend, Keesha. Keesh, this is Casey, my lab partner."

"How do you do Keesha?" Casey shook her hand. "Keesha? Where have I heard that name before?"

That question brought Keesha back to reality, having been struck dumb until that point. "I am the sports editor at the _Collegian_. You know, until I become the editor-in-chief," she added with self-assurance.

"That's it!" Casey replied in recognition. "I thought I saw you with the rest of the press after games. You're hard to miss, a pretty face with the rest of the brutes in the media sticking recorders in my face."

"Thanks," Keesha smiled. "You're hard to miss yourself, what with carrying the Ashland offense and all. Eight catches for 127 yards and a touchdown yesterday. Well done."

"Someone was paying attention."

"I was editing the gamer when you walked in." Keesha's face suddenly turned serious. "So you're Phoebe's lab partner. You're not just some dumb jock taking advantage of her wanting to own two of every animal, are you?"

If Casey was perturbed by the accusation, he didn't show it. "Of course not. We're in Division II. I know the NFL isn't in my future. I'm here to learn as much as anyone."

"Trust me Keesh, he's saved me from my share of mistakes. He's pretty smart," Phoebe added. "He's here so we can work on a project."

"OK. Come on in then. I'll just be here editing this gamer that's mostly about your awesomeness." With that, the three of them went to their separate tasks. For Keesha and Casey though, concentration was proving difficult. They kept stealing glances at each other. Finally, the lab partners and the newspaper editor finished their work and turned to a lazy Sunday afternoon of socializing. With her being naturally quiet, Keesha and Casey didn't even notice Phoebe slink away to leave the two of them to get to know each other.

Before anyone knew it, it was well into the afternoon. Casey checked his watch. "Oh crap! I better get back to my place before my roommates do something stupid."

"Yeah," Keesha replied with a touch of melancholy. "I have some studying I need to do before Monday."

"Me too," Casey stood up and shook Keesha's hand. "Nice meeting you." He turned to Phoebe. "See you in class Pheebs."

"See ya," both girls said at once, causing Casey to laugh as he shut the door.

Keesha just looked at Phoebe with a goofy grin. Both young women started to giggle. Keesha because she couldn't believe what just happened and how quickly she became infatuated with Casey; Phoebe because her plan worked better than she ever thought possible.

* * *

In the newsroom of the _Ashland Collegian_, the party raged on. It was late enough that no faculty or any adult with authority was on the premises, which made sneaking the alcohol in that much easier. The group, consisting of paper staffers and a few of the guest of honor's other friends, had started the night at the bar before heading back to the newsroom.

The guest of honor was one Keesha Franklin. The occasion: her 21st birthday. Given that she was currently dancing on a table, it was apparent she was enjoying herself. One of her sports writers handed her a plastic cup. Keesha stopped dancing to drink it, and from the corner of her eye noticed Phoebe sitting alone. Keesha sighed, got down from the table, and walked towards her best friend.

Keesha hadn't meant to, but she had mostly ignored Phoebe that night. It was awkward and almost inevitable at the bar since Phoebe was still twenty. Shawn had been there for support, but this was a Tuesday and he had an exam the next day, so he couldn't continue to the afterparty. As such, there Phoebe was with no one to talk to, save for the few times Julie had stopped sucking face with her boyfriend to remember Phoebe was there and say hi.

"Hey Pheebs," Keesha said when she arrived.

"Hey Keesh." Phoebe gave her a slightly sad smile. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks." Keesha grimaced. "Look, I'm sorry for ignoring you tonight. I've been pulled in every possible direction, but that's no excuse."

"It's OK," Phoebe tried to reassure. "You have your other friends, and I'm still too young to drink outside of our apartment, not that I do there really either."

Keesha put an arm around the auburn haired young woman. "All true, but none of these other people are my best friend. These people came into my life, and a lot of them will leave it, but you and me are forever."

Phoebe smiled, a legitimate one this time. "Thanks Keesh. You're surprisingly philosophical when you're drunk." She suddenly stood up. "If you don't mind though, I'd like to go home."

"That's fine. You've suffered enough. Don't wait up for me."

"Don't worry. I will," Phoebe winked. "Seriously, I have a few things to get done tonight. Please call me if you need help getting home safe."

Keesha got up herself and gave Phoebe a big hug. "I will. Thanks for being you, Pheebs."

The next day Keesha learned the thing Phoebe had to do the night before was bake her an extra chocolate birthday cake. Keesha just beamed and internally marveled at how lucky she was.

* * *

Phoebe had to get out of there for a minute and clear her head. Morning had broken, and with Shawn asleep, Phoebe took advantage to tiptoe into the living room. She lay on the couch and tried to gather her thoughts.

The previous night Shawn took her on what was easily their most formal date yet at the nicest restaurant yet. Phoebe wore a dress, Shawn a suit. She had no idea how he could afford it, but he was adamant she not worry about that. During dinner, Shawn was the perfect gentleman as always, but Phoebe noticed a nervous air about him. It matched her nervousness quite well. She didn't know what his problem was, but on her end she definitely felt a tugging of emotions, including a very powerful one she didn't know if she should express.

After dinner, the two went on a walk around the campus. The relative silence compared with the buzzing activity of the day always felt peaceful to Phoebe. As they walked, Phoebe rested her head on Shawn's shoulder. This usually served to relax her even more. Tonight though she could still sense his tension, and that was enough to finally get her to ask what was going on.

"You OK? You've seemed distracted all night." Suddenly Phoebe felt a pit in her stomach. Could Shawn's nervousness mean he wanted to break up? Things seemed to be going very well. That wouldn't make any sense, would it?

Shawn rubbed the back of neck. "Um, well, I realized something recently. I've wanted to tell you all night, but I can't quite find the right opportunity."

"What is it?" Phoebe went from nervous to full-on terrified.

Shawn looked around. They were standing near the largest tree in the quad. It was relatively deserted. He took a deep breath. It was time.

"Phoebe, I love you. That's why I wanted tonight to be special, only my dumbass couldn't get the words out and…"

Shawn was stopped by Phoebe pressing her lips against his. When she came up for air, Phoebe practically squealed. "I love you too! I was just so scared to say it because I didn't know if you felt the same way."

The two went back to making out, and from then the night turned into a blur for Phoebe. Next thing she knew they were back at her apartment, then into her room, then into her bed. It wasn't necessarily the plan when the night started, but that mid-November night was the one where Phoebe lost her virginity. It was awkward and stilted, but in a good way. Neither was drunk and consent was freely and happily given. The enthusiasm they had for each other was the most important thing. Morning came with Phoebe in Shawn's arms. She woke up first, and it was the memories of the night before that led her out of bed.

Phoebe lay on the couch and shook her head in disbelief at how amazing this all was. Everyone in high school assumed her and Arnold had sex, but it never happened. She never even told Arnold she loved him, even though at the time that's how she thought she felt. Now she knew. Shawn was smart, kind, listened to her, and was receptive to her needs and feelings. If this wasn't love, then to Phoebe, she must have had no clue what it really was.

"Have fun last night?"

Phoebe's reverie was shattered by Keesha's voice. She looked up to find the dark haired young woman standing in the kitchen, playful grin plastered on her face.

"Keesh! How long have you been there?"

"This morning, about an hour. But I was here last night too. You must've been too busy to notice."

Phoebe's face immediately turned dark red. "Oh God! So you heard…"

"Everything."

"Oh God! I'm so sorry. I…" Phoebe couldn't finish as she buried her face in her hands.

Keesha laughed. "Don't worry about it Pheebs. You were clearly having fun." She joined her best friend on the couch and embraced her. "Are you happy?"

The question and the affection perked up Phoebe. She took her face out of her hands and smiled widely. "Of course. He loves me. I love him. That's why we, uh, did what we did."

"I'm glad Pheebs. Now, go back to Lover Boy before he wakes up. I'm going to go take a walk, in case you want to resume your activities. We'll talk later." Keesha winked as she got up from the couch. Phoebe watched her leave, took one more deep breath, and headed back into her bedroom.

* * *

Keesha opened the door to reveal Casey. That wasn't unusual, Casey had come over often to complete his and Phoebe's biology project, as well as chat when his schedule allowed. What was unusual was the fact that Phoebe wasn't there at the moment.

"Hey Casey." Keesha tried to keep her voice regular and her body language not too flirtatious.

"Hey Keesh."

"Phoebe isn't here right now. She's at work."

"That's fine. I'm not here to see Phoebe."

Keesha arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah," Casey suddenly took a deep breath. "I'm here because I wanted to ask you out."

"Oh…" Keesha trailed off. "What took you so long?" She tried to ask it in a joking, confident manner, but in the back of her mind it was a serious question.

Luckily for Keesha, Casey took it as a joke and laughed. "In all seriousness, I've wanted to for a while, but wanted to wait until football slowed down and I had some semblance of free time again."

Keesha nodded. "Makes sense." She broke into a big smile. "And to answer your question, I would love to go out with you."

Casey smiled back. "Tomorrow night at six?"

"It's a date."

Casey left, and Keesha practically threw herself onto the living room couch in a fit of giggles. When she recovered, she mentally chastised herself for acting like a crush-smitten schoolgirl. Unfortunately, shortly after that came the nerves, nerves that were still raging inside of Keesha when Phoebe returned.

The auburn haired girl arrived back home tired from a long day at work, but that was quickly forgotten upon hearing of Keesha's date.

"That's awesome! It's about time he asked!"

"Yeah…" Keesha's face fell. "I've never felt this nervous about a date before."

Phoebe gave her a big hug in response. "Keesh, just be yourself. He really likes you. All semester you're all he's talked about, and you like him."

"Thanks Pheebs, but it's not that easy, and you know that."

"I do, but I also know that when you really want something, you always find a way to get it, and that's exactly what you're going to do tomorrow night."

Keesha ran those words in her head repeatedly the next day, up to and including the point where Casey arrived (right at six o'clock). He was dressed in a button down and slacks, but the most obvious feature on his muscular frame at the moment was the thousand watt smile on his face. Whether it was out of happiness, nervousness, or a combination thereof, Keesha couldn't tell, but something about it eased her mind a bit.

"You ready Keesh?"

"Let's do it."

Casey put out his arm. Keesha smiled and took it. As he led her out, they heard Phoebe yell out. "Have a great time you two!"

Neither answered. Casey closed the door. "She's just as excited about this date as we are, isn't she?" he said in perfect deadpan, so perfect it was obvious it had been honed over the years.

"Oh yeah," Keesha replied with her own well practiced deadpan.

The two of them headed to an out of the way bistro on the edge of town. Keesha appreciated the quietness, away from the campus and its nearby debauchery. It also helped keep Casey from getting recognized as the school's football star. He was only approached twice during dinner.

"Sorry about that," Casey said guiltily after the second person to recognize him insisted on a picture and a handshake.

"It's OK. It's not the first time I've dated the Big Man on Campus," Keesha snarked in reply.

"You know, it's not usually a good idea to bring up past significant others on a date," Casey snarked back. His expression, however, made it clear he was kidding around.

Keesha laughed almost involuntarily. Someone first observing the couple might think the date was going horribly, but this was their relationship. Both had a sarcastic sense of humor, and neither was ashamed to use it. Keesha liked having someone to verbally spar with. It helped that he was otherwise very kind and very easygoing, nothing like one would expect from a football player. As he explained though, football was football and when the game was over, he put that part of him away until next time. The result was a person that Keesha liked very much, and by all appearances, liked her just as much.

After dinner, the two went bowling, at Casey's behest.

"You bowl?" Keesha asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Once in a while. Sometimes it's just fun to roll a ball as hard as you can at some pins. Some of the guys love it, and it's usually a good time, even if some of them drink too much."

"Sucks being the peacemaker all the time, doesn't it?" Keesha asked. Casey nodded. "Yeah, I've done it plenty of times myself," Keesha commiserated. "Not all the time though," she added with a wink.

The two started to bowl, becoming more and more playful and casually affectionate as they went. High fives begat arms around shoulders and torsos, which begat discrete hand holding. Hormones raging, it was taking all their self-control to remember they were in public.

Eventually their night out had to end, and of course Casey would do the gentlemanly thing and escort Keesha to her door.

"I had a great time tonight, Keesh. Thanks for coming out with me."

"Of course. Thanks for asking me out."

"Well, the way I see it. If we both had a great time, then a second date is warranted."

Keesha pretended to think about it. "Having considered the facts, I agree."

"Excellent. Does Wednesday night work?"

"Yeah. I only have one other final after that, but it's easy, so that's good."

"Awesome. I'll call you when I figure out a plan for it." Casey bent down to kiss Keesha on the cheek. "Good night."

"Good night," Keesha barely croaked. She forced herself to open her apartment door alone and not give in to the urge to grab Casey and kiss him, among other things, all night.

What a way for the semester to end.

* * *

**A/N:** The Bunny and Kitty song is of course completely stolen from this season of _Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt_.

Up next, the end of college.


	10. College (Part Three)

**A/N:** We've hit our final college chapter. Remember, this will cover the last semester of junior year and all of senior year. They are the Class of 2008, so this chapter begins in the spring of 2007. Strap in, there's a lot going on here. An emotional roller coaster, to be cliche like that.

* * *

_Winter Break? What Winter Break?_ Keesha thought as the spring semester began. Her six weeks off had been a blur. She took some shifts at the grocery store to earn extra money after the _Walkerville Post_ again told her to wait until the summer. When she wasn't working, she was driving to Akron to spend time with Casey, or he was driving to Walkerville to spend time with her. Even Keesha couldn't believe how well it was going with him. They clicked in a way she had never felt before, not even with Ralphie.

The only fly in the ointment showed itself the weekend before the start of the semester, when Keesha headed to Phoebe's house to pick her up for the drive back to Ashland.

"Hey, I know you," the dark haired young woman joked when Phoebe entered the car.

Phoebe giggled. "Hey stranger." For her part, Phoebe had been just as busy over the break. She and her father had spent Christmas at Shawn's house, another step as their relationship grew more and more serious. When she wasn't with Shawn, she was working and volunteering as always. As a result though, Phoebe had almost no time with Keesha, or any of her old friends. It seemed like that was the case for all of them. Phoebe said a silent prayer for the invention of Facebook. It wasn't the same by any stretch of the imagination, but at least it was something.

"Ready for another semester?" Keesha asked.

"I guess. I'm going to be so busy, and this is the last 'easy' semester," Phoebe bemoaned. "Next year is all about the field instruction and licensing exams. I'm exhausted just thinking about it." She paused. "I bet you feel the same way about the paper."

"Pretty much. Gotta make my last push to be editor-in-chief."

"I'm sure you're a lock," Phoebe reassured. "The current editors love the job you're doing with sports."

"Thanks Pheebs, but I won't consider it a lock until it's done. When you look like me, and they look like them, well…you know."

Phoebe nodded, understanding exactly what Keesha was getting at. She scanned her brain for a new topic, but only came up with another sore subject. "Um, I'm sorry we didn't get to spend too much time together during break, and I'm really sorry we missed Christmas."

"It's OK Pheebs. I know it was important for you to spend it with Shawn."

"I did bake you some cookies! They're in my bag."

"Don't tell me that. It'll take all my willpower not to pull over so I can grab them."

As Phoebe giggled, Keesha continued. "How bout this? We take this first weekend back at school and ignore the boyfriends and everyone else. Just the two of us."

"Deal. How bout I grab those cookies to celebrate?"

"Awesome, although you know this means they'll gone by the time we get home."

* * *

Thoroughly exhausted, Keesha collapsed onto the bed in a heap. The past few days were a complete blur of activity. Ever since they started college, Dorothy Ann had been talking about going on a girls only Spring Break trip. Those plans were quickly squashed by Wanda joining the Air Force, but the other three were still determined to make it happen. None of three were big beach people, so DA suggested a city none of them had been before. Months of negotiation resulted in San Francisco as the pick.

It took until now for their schedules and finances to work out, but the important thing was that the three young women were together again, with Wanda there in spirit. In the three days they had been in San Francisco, it felt like they had been everywhere. They visited the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, the Embarcadero, Lombard Street, and almost every tourist spot in between. The three were as obvious tourists as it gets, but they didn't care. They were having the time of their lives before adulthood took them in full.

Keesha was about to fall asleep before she realized something. DA was conked out on her hotel bed, but Phoebe was nowhere to be found in the room they were sharing. The roll-away cot she was sleeping in (the trio were going to alternate who slept on the cot, but Phoebe insisted she take it because the other two were partially covering her share of the cost) was empty. Keesha's sleepy gaze eventually caught a tall figure on the balcony of their room. She got up and headed on the balcony herself. Not surprisingly, the tall figure was Phoebe, looking out at the San Francisco skyline with a thoughtful look.

"Not tired yet, Pheebs?" Keesha inquired, jolting Phoebe from her thoughts.

"Oh, hey Keesh. No, just enjoying the view and doing some thinking."

"Thinking? About what?"

Phoebe suddenly blushed and looked away. "Promise you won't think this is insane."

"Why would I ever think that?"

"Because, well, I think I want to move here after I graduate."

"What?" Keesha practically yelled. She took a quick glance to make sure she didn't wake up DA before continuing in a lower voice. "I'm sorry, but that does sound insane. Why?"

"Because I love it here. I've loved every minute. I know we've mostly done tourist stuff, but at times I've snuck away and walked around the city. Me being here feels so right. I haven't felt like that since we were deciding to go to Ashland."

"But Pheebs…your life is in Ohio. What about your dad? What about Shawn?" Keesha paused. "What about us?"

"Daddy always taught me to follow my heart. He'll understand. Shawn?" Phoebe made a strange face. "We'll figure it out. And us?" She touched Keesha's arm. "You'll always be my best friend, and the rest of the group too. We're already mostly apart, and we've survived."

"But you don't know anyone here! How will you find a job?"

"I don't know yet, but cities tend to need social workers. I'll figure it out. I have a year to plan this out."

Keesha took a long look at Phoebe's determined countenance. There was only one other question she could think of right now. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes," came the reply, with full confidence and obvious passion in her voice. That was enough to convince Keesha. Once Phoebe was passionate about something, there was no turning back. She would put everything she had into this. Keesha knew arguing with her was pointless.

Nevertheless, Keesha was floored. She had always assumed it would be her that would leave Ohio and her that would have to comfort a confused and devastated Phoebe. To have it be the other way around was world changing to Keesha. The amazing thing was that in one way, Keesha was proud of Phoebe. For once in her life, she put herself first. Yes, it was in a crazy and potentially reckless way, but at least it was solely Phoebe's decision. Her selflessness was the thing Keesha most loved about her best friend, but Phoebe could take it too far sometime. In that way, Keesha was glad Phoebe was looking out for number one.

However, as she went back into the room and into bed, a knot formed in Keesha's stomach. As the years went by, Keesha became less and less religious, but she said a prayer as she fell asleep. _Please God, don't let this be a huge mistake._

* * *

Keesha sat down in the front row of the staff meeting with an obvious air of confidence about her. The purpose of the meeting was to reveal the editorial staff of _The Collegian_ for next year. Keesha had already been tipped off that she would be named editor-in-chief. In fact, she was apparently the only serious candidate, a "slam dunk" as it was put. In her view, it was the product of hard work, and her mind was already racing with ideas for next year.

Five minutes after the intended start of the meeting, the current editor pounded the table to stop the murmuring of conversations. "Alright people, let's get this show on the road. As your outgoing editor, I'm beyond proud of what we've accomplished this year. You all deserve kudos."

His speech was stopped by a round of applause. When it calmed down, he continued. "Thanks for making me look good and getting me a job at the _Plain Dealer_." The group laughed. "So, since I'm out of here, it's time to announce who gets to boss you around next year." He went through the opinion, news, sports, and lifestyle editors first. "Last but not least, the big cheese, and your next editor-in-chief of _The Collegian_, Keesha Franklin."

Keesha let out a broad smile as she went up to the front to another round of applause. "Thank you Justin, and thank you all. I can't wait to get started next semester. We've done some great work here, and I think we can find another level. I certainly have my ideas on how to run things, but I welcome input from each and every one of you. We're all a team. That said though, I know how to bust balls if I have to. Ask the sports writers." The crowd chuckled at that comment. "Thank you all. I look forward to working with you. Let's get out of here and go to the bar."

As Keesha went back to her seat, she listened for any snide side comments, for someone, anyone to have an issue with her appointment. She allowed herself a small smile when no such comments came.

* * *

Phoebe wasn't used to Keesha waking up first, but that was the case this Saturday morning in May. Upon seeing the auburn haired young woman, Keesha immediately ran up and gave her a big hug, further surprising Phoebe.

"Happy Birthday Pheebs!"

"Ohhhh….thanks."

Keesha raised her eyebrow. "You forgot your birthday, didn't you?"

"No, but I was hoping you would."

"Why would you ever say that?" Keesha looked hurt, which in turn made Phoebe look hurt for causing it.

Nevertheless, Phoebe pressed on. "Because of all the talk I've been hearing about you throwing a huge party for me." Two months prior, Keesha threw a huge rager for Julie's 21st birthday, a party so immense it was still the talk of campus. Among their circle was talk that Keesha would do something similar for Phoebe.

Upon hearing that, Keesha's hurt turned to laughter. "Oh Pheebs, I'm sorry." She hugged her again. "Our plan to mess with you worked too well."

"What?"

"Why would I throw Phoebe Terese a Julie Haddock party?" Phoebe had no answer for that. "Exactly," Keesha continued. "I have something else planned." She led Phoebe to the living room. "Sit down."

Keesha pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. "I know that the only thing you'd truly want for your birthday is for the gang to be here to celebrate." She dialed some numbers. "Obviously and unfortunately, they can't be here, but I had them all call me and leave a message for you." She handed Phoebe the phone. "Listen."

Phoebe put the phone to her ear and first heard what was unquestionably Dorothy Ann's voice. "Hey Phoebe, according to my research, it's your birthday." DA giggled. "Seriously though, Happy Birthday. You've always been there for us, and I'm sorry I can't be there. I hope though it's everything you want because you deserve it."

Phoebe already could barely contain the smile on her face. Next came Carlos. "Happy 21st Pheebolino! Thanks for everything, especially the time you helped me with the, uh, Tampon Incident." There was a pause. "If you're listening Keesha, ignore that."

"Happy Birthday Pheebs," stated the warm voice of Arnold Perlstein. "We're all forever lucky you transferred to the Friz's class with us. Thanks for always being there for us and being the kindest person I know. I hope today is special for you."

Next came Ralphie. "Hey Pheebs! Happy Birthday to one of the finest people ever. A lot of people fake being sweet and kind, but you're the real thing. For a while I thought we were going to become brother and sister, but to be honest, to me you're already are a sister. Have a great birthday."

Tim was the next voice she heard. "Happy Birthday Pheebs! Uh, you know I'm not comfortable with this stuff, but well, you're pretty cool and I hope you have an awesome birthday."

Lastly was, who else, Wanda. "So Pheebs, you're 21 now. Don't be a wuss about it. Drink out in the open! Have sex! Have the fun I can't right now because I'm in a fucking war zone! Seriously though, thanks for always being the heart of the group. Damn it, I actually miss that weird, awkward face of yours. Toodles."

Tears streaming down her face, Phoebe got up to hug Keesha, but she stopped her. "Wait Pheebs, there's one more message."

"But, that's everyone, who else could it be?" Phoebe's question was answered by the voice of Shawn coming through on the phone.

"Happy Birthday Phoebe. I hope it's your best one yet, and I'm going to do my best to make it so. Get ready. I'll be picking you up at noon and we're heading to Pickerington Ponds for bird and animal watching. Then we're going into Columbus for dinner at a new farm-to-table restaurant. Anything after that, well, I'm not going to say on Keesha's phone. See you at noon. I love you."

Now completely overcome with emotion, Phoebe stood up and almost knocked Keesha down with her embrace. "That was the best gift ever. You're the best friend I could ever have."

"I could say the same about you," was Keesha's response.

* * *

Phoebe and Keesha arrived at their apartment late in the afternoon. The fall semester was to start the next day. They were now officially seniors, but the prevailing mood of the two was not excitement or pride but rather exhaustion. Their summer break was the exact opposite of one. Keesha had finally obtained an internship at the _Walkerville Post_, and when she wasn't working there, she was sneaking time with Casey and preparing for her time as editor of the _Collegian_.

For her part, Phoebe's goal that summer was to accumulate as much savings as possible. Her impending move to San Francisco was a year away. However, also impending was her required field experience. That would take up her entire spring semester, while the fall semester would be spent preparing for it. She also had to start studying for her licensing exams. That left little room for anything else, which is some ways was proving to be a problem.

Keesha was a little afraid to ask, but something seemed wrong with her best friend, and she figured talking about it would help. "You OK, Pheebs?"

Phoebe sighed deeply. "I guess. Just tired, and a little nervous because it's not going to get better."

"Oh. Is anything else wrong?"

Another sigh. "It's that obvious?"

"It usually is."

"Fair enough. It's Shawn. He's been distant lately, and it's like he's mad at me for being so busy."

Keesha made a face. "That seems strange. He knew what he was getting into." She had a thought. "Have you talked to him about San Francisco yet?"

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah. He didn't seem that pleased with it." She dropped her head. "I love him, and I want to work it out, but I can't if we never see each other! I need him to be the flexible one right now, and he's not."

"That sucks Pheebs. Hopefully he'll come around."

"Thanks. Anyway, enough about me. How are things with you? I didn't see you all summer either!"

Keesha told Phoebe how her summer went, but her thoughts mostly lingered on Phoebe's issues. Frankly, Keesha suspected it wouldn't end well and started to prepare herself for the fallout.

* * *

Phoebe had finally had enough. It was time to get to the bottom of what was going on with Shawn. She knew he was frustrated with how busy she was, but that was no excuse for acting so weird and distant all the time. She figured above all else, he missed alone time with her. Phoebe did too, so she secretly carved out some time that afternoon to surprise him at his apartment. Phoebe still cared deeply for Shawn, and she hoped he still realized that.

Phoebe arrived at Shawn's apartment, and was surprised to hear noise from what sounded like multiple people. Phoebe had picked this specific time because she was pretty sure Shawn's roommate wouldn't be around. She grabbed the key Shawn had given her from when they were practically attached to the hip and opened the door. From there, the noise she heard gave way to shuffling and panicked sounds.

"Shawn!" Phoebe cried out in a confused tone. She headed for his bedroom, where the commotion was coming from. For a moment, Phoebe had a thought that she should respect his privacy and not barge in, but she quickly dismissed it. Something was going on, and she had to find out. She opened the door…

… to find Shawn with another woman, both frantically trying to put their clothes on.

"What the hell Shawn?!" Phoebe shouted.

"Um, hi Pheebs. What are you doing here?" Shawn stammered, his voice desperate.

"I wanted to surprise you. Who is this?"

"Who are you?" the other woman retorted.

"I'm his girlfriend. Or was anyway," Phoebe spat out.

"What? You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend. Asshole." The other woman stomped out of the room. On her way out, she turned to Phoebe. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's OK." Phoebe reassured. "It's not your fault, and you're not the one I'm mad at." She turned back to Shawn with fury in her eyes.

"I'm…I'm…I'm sorry Phoebe, but…"

"But what! You know, never mind. We're through. You weren't supporting me lately anyway, and now I know why." She threw the key back in his face. "Take that. I never want to see you again." Phoebe ran out of Shawn's apartment and back to hers as fast as she could, desperately trying to keep it together while she was out in public.

Keesha was trying to study when she heard the front door slam. She looked up to see her best friend sobbing uncontrollably. On instinct Keesha ran to her, wrapped her in a hug, and led her to the living room couch.

"What happened?" Keesha asked gently.

"Shawn was cheating on me. I caught him in the act," Phoebe choked out between sobs. She broke down again, unable to say anything else. At first, Keesha didn't say anything; she just held Phoebe tighter. Inside, she was trying to make sense of it. She suspected Shawn's interest in Phoebe was waning, but neither of them thought he was cheating. Keesha felt a rage build up inside of her, but she quickly pushed it away. Acting on that would solve nothing. Right now all she could do was be there for Phoebe.

"I'm so sorry Pheebs." Keesha rubbed Phoebe's arm and stroked her hair, internally cursing that she didn't have anything more profound to say. The room stayed quiet, the only noise coming from Phoebe's cries and sniffles. The silence was eventually broken by a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Keesha asked warily.

"Casey."

Keesha's eyes snapped in recognition. She forgot Casey was coming over after practice. "Come in."

Casey opened the door, but once he saw the two young women on the couch, he knew that he wasn't getting the alone time with his girlfriend he wanted. "What's wrong?" he asked, concern evident in his tone.

"Shawn's been cheating on Phoebe. She caught him red handed today," Keesha replied in as even a voice as she could muster. Phoebe only sobbed louder, as hearing it out loud only triggered more pain.

Casey seemed taken aback by the news. "Oh damn. That rat cowardly bastard. Pheebs, I'm so sorry."

"Thanks Casey," Phoebe choked before collapsing back into Keesha's body.

"Do you need anything" he asked.

"Yes. Can you go out and get two gallons of ice cream and a bunch of really sad movies, please and thank you," Keesha instructed.

"On my way. Be back soon."

After Casey left, Phoebe again picked her head up. For the time being, she had finally stopped crying. "You have a great boyfriend," she said in a soft voice.

"Yeah, I know," Keesha replied. She paused. "Do you want me to kill Shawn?"

Phoebe burrowed herself back into her best friend's arms, craving protection from the world. "He's not worth it."

* * *

There were few things in life Keesha enjoyed more than post-coital bliss. At the moment, she was wrapped up in Casey's arms, a happy kind of exhausted from well, a long night. The occasion was an Ashland football victory which led into Fall Break. Keesha was heading back to Walkerville with Phoebe that morning, so the couple knew they had to take advantage of the time they had.

"What are you going to do without me this week?" Keesha asked playfully.

"Well, cry for one," answered a droll Casey, "and take it out on the fools that make up our defensive line in practice."

Keesha let out a small laugh and twisted her body to kiss him. They were in mid lip lock when Keesha's phone buzzed. She sighed as she looked at it.

"Damn it, Phoebe's on her way. Why does she always have to be on time for shit?" Keesha squirmed, clearly not wanting to leave the bed yet. "Ugh, I have to go."

Casey took a hold of her and gave her a quick squeeze before loosening his grip. "It's OK. I understand. Um, is Pheebs doing alright?"

Keesha sighed again. "She has her bad days, but she's getting there. I think getting away from campus and going home for a while will help. Her father and I can remind her of how amazing she is."

"Good to hear. Please give her my best."

Keesha stood up. "Do I look like I just had sex?" Casey gave her two thumbs up and a goofy smile.

She started to put her clothes back on. "I'll call you when I get home. I love you." Immediately after she said that, her eyes bugged out in shock and fear. She turned back towards Casey.

"I knew it. You love me…"

"I didn't mean for it to come out like that." Keesha put her face in her hands in embarassment.

"So, you love me. You love me."

"I meant…"

"You love me!"

"You love me!" Keesha yelled back.

Casey pretended to hem and haw. "I don't know. Give me a kiss. Let me see."

Keesha crawled onto the bed to kiss him. The reaction was instant from Casey. "I love you. I do, yeah." His grin was so wide it could barely be contained by the rest of his facial muscles. Keesha found herself grinning just as wide. The two shared one more kiss before they heard Phoebe's car pull up.

As she practically skipped to the car, Keesha wondered if she should keep this from Phoebe. That plan went out the window the second Phoebe saw her though.

"Ooh…something good happened."

"Yeah, it did."

"Well, don't keep it from me," Phoebe playfully pleaded. "What happened?"

Keesha took a deep breath, hoping that with everything going on with Phoebe, she would take this well and not dwell on what might have been. "Casey and I each said I love you."

"That's awesome, Keesh!" Phoebe squealed. "I'm so happy for you." She paused. "Do you want to stay here instead of going home? It feels weird for you to be leaving for the week after you said you loved him."

"No, it's OK. He has practice all week anyway, and I promised I'd go with you."

Phoebe beamed as she maneuvered the car back onto the road. "Then put some fun music on. It's time to celebrate."

"You sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. We'll deal with my stuff later."

Keesha beamed back and she fiddled with the radio, internally amazed at the wonderful people in her life.

* * *

_Blake into right center field. Crisp back to his left. Still going..And the Red Sox win the pennant!_

Phoebe turned off the TV in disgust and buried her face in her hands. "Why did I watch all of that?

From the other side of the living room, Keesha had no answer. She certainly didn't want to watch that entire massacre either. Up three games to one in the ALCS, the Indians had officially blown it, losing three straight to the Red Sox. Even worse, none of the games were even close, and at no point did Cleveland have a lead. Game Seven ended with Boston winning 11-2, the exclamation point a six run eighth to put it away.

For a while, Phoebe said nothing, head still down, fighting back tears. Keesha felt herself getting emotional as well. Not for the Indians, that she didn't really care about, but for her best friend. Phoebe was just now beginning to get back to normal after the break up. The last thing she needed was more heartbreak. Inside, it killed Keesha that she couldn't do more.

The silence was broken by Phoebe's phone ringing. "Who do you think it is?" Keesha asked softly.

"It's either my dad or Ralphie." Phoebe answered the phone. "Hey Ralphie," she said sadly. She ran into her room before Keesha could hear anymore. Keesha didn't mind. Phoebe and Ralphie had always bonded over the Indians. Keesha hoped the two could talk each other through their hurt.

Keesha sighed and went back into her own room. It was late and she still had some studying to do before bed. The next morning she made sure to give Phoebe an extra large hug. The auburn haired girl forced a smile. "Thanks Keesh, but hey, there's always next year."

Both of them were pretty sure she meant that.

* * *

It was finally here, the spring semester of their senior year, their last four months as college students. For Phoebe though, that meant one thing- her field instruction. Save for a seminar intending to prepare her for her licensing exams, the field instruction was her only "class" of the semester. She would be required to spend at least 500 hours working at a social agency. That came out to an average of 36 hours a week, so it was essentially a full-time job. Phoebe knew she had to put everything with Shawn behind her. She didn't have time. Her life this semester was her instruction, preparing for exams, and when she had spare moments, finding a job and a place to live in San Francisco for after she graduated.

Luckily, Phoebe had received her first placement choice, a domestic violence shelter in Mansfield. At first, her professors were skeptical though.

"This is a tough assignment, Phoebe, and we know how, shall we say, sensitive you can be. This is going to require some thicker skin that most of the other places," one professor warned.

Internally, Phoebe felt a flash of rage at the insinuation, but outwardly kept it professional. "I understand that Dr. Baker. I took your course on Family Violence. It wasn't easy, but it made me want to do something to help abused women and children. We all got into this to serve. That's who I want to serve. I assure you I can handle it."

The professors conferred. "OK Phoebe, you're one of our best students, so we're willing to give you a chance," Dr. Baker stated.

"Thank you," Phoebe said coolly.

The standard for the field instruction was 36 hours a week. It didn't take long for Phoebe to push it to almost 50. She could always find some task that needed to be done, one person that could use a sympathetic ear, one child that needed a hug and a playmate. Her supervisors at the shelter were amazed at Phoebe's boundless energy and compassion, and that she never showed distress. In front of those staying at the shelter, Phoebe never wavered.

In private, it was a different story. It didn't take long for Keesha to brace herself when she heard Phoebe come home at the end of each day. Keesha was never sure if Phoebe's emotions were going to boil over that day. Usually once or twice a week, something that Phoebe experienced would get to her to the point of tears. Keesha did her part and listened as her best friend described (in general terms of course so not to disrespect anyone's privacy) the awful circumstances that led some people to the shelter. For Phoebe, it was a much needed release, as she knew she couldn't express her pain by proxy in front of who she was trying to help, not to mention those who were observing and evaluating her.

Those who ran the shelter were effusive in their praise at how well she was doing. According to them, she had the perfect temperament for this line of work.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Ms. Franklin but we have decided to go in a different direction, but we may have freelance opportunities available after you graduate…"

Keesha stopped listening at that point. Once again a paper had received her resume, interviewed her, but in the end did not hire her as a staff reporter. She had tried every major paper in Ohio, and most of the smaller outfits. She was now moving to papers in nearby states. The one that just rejected her was out of Western Pennsylvania. Even the Walkerville paper didn't hire her despite her summer internship, a result of "significant and painful budget cuts."

Once the HR person stopped droning on, Keesha hung up the phone and gently threw it onto her bed in disgust. She went back into the common area to find Phoebe working on dinner. The auburn haired young woman at first gave Keesha a big smile before noticing her best friend's irritation. Phoebe knew right away what was wrong.

"They didn't hire you, did they?"

"Nope," Keesha replied curtly.

"I'm sorry, Keesh. It doesn't make sense."

Keesha's face and voice softened as she remembered Phoebe wasn't who she was mad at. "Thanks, I know." She let out a frustrated, guttural sigh. "Do you need help with dinner?"

Phoebe said no, and a few minutes later the two sat down to eat. It was at that point that Keesha decided to broach another topic that had been eating at her.

"So Pheebs, any luck finding a job in San Francisco yet?"

Phoebe made a face, suspecting this wasn't going to go well. "No, not yet, but I still have hope."

She was right, as Keesha didn't bother to hide where she was going with this. "I'm sorry, but if that's the case, are you reconsidering moving there?"

Phoebe emitted an odd sound, a product of both her frustration and attempt not to let said frustration out. "Do you not think I can't make it out there?"

"What? Of course not! Why would you think that?"

"Because you don't want me to go!"

"Of course I don't. It's so far away." Keesha paused to fight back the tears welling up. "I'd miss you."

That comment sent Phoebe to fight back tears of her own. "I'd miss you too, but I can do this."

"I never said you couldn't," Keesha shot back.

"Well…" Phoebe trailed off. Keesha motioned her to keep going and share whatever was obviously bothering her.

Phoebe took a deep breath. "When we were growing up, did you ever notice how everyone seemed to think I needed to be protected?"

"Umm…maybe."

"Well, that's how I always saw things. It was like I was the group's little sister. I mean, I get it. I was the sensitive one, and I was the one with a dead parent, and my dad's blind, and we didn't have much. I get why everyone would feel sympathy, and I know it wasn't based on anything bad. However, that doesn't mean I'm not strong and independent!" She pounded the table. "So yeah, part of why I'm doing this is because I fell in love with San Francisco, but I'm also doing it to put those 'poor little girl' thoughts to rest."

Silence filled the room, as Keesha didn't really have an answer to Phoebe's rant. All she could do was look into Phoebe's intense eyes, those eyes that told the world "my mind is made up and do not try to stop me." Keesha had first seen those eyes when Phoebe was determined to save the desert animals. She didn't see those eyes all that often, but Keesha knew not to mess with Phoebe when she did.

"OK Pheebs, I understand," Keesha finally said. Phoebe just nodded. She knew Keesha wasn't thrilled with it, and she understood that. In the end though, she didn't care. It was her decision and no one elses.

"Things will work out. I promise," Phoebe said in hopes of calming down a clearly distressed Keesha. She was mostly sure she was telling the truth.

* * *

_Sleep? What is sleep?_ Phoebe thought as she looked at her alarm clock. It was approaching 2 am and she was still awake, hard at work. This was after a full day at the shelter. The next morning was her licensing exam. Phoebe knew she should go to bed, but the way she saw it, she was always going to be too nervous to sleep so she might as well try and be productive.

Passing the exam was yet another requirement for Phoebe to graduate. It was also required for her to receive a license to practice social work in Ohio. Luckily for her, the license would transfer to California once she moved. She was sure to check that. The exam was a combination of oral and written. Between her field instruction and preparing for this, Phoebe had done little of any else for months.

Her body and brain were screaming for a break. Phoebe obliged, but not with sleep, but rather a walk to the kitchen to get some water. Unfortunately, in her fatigue she couldn't keep the glass in her hand and it shattered with a loud crash.

"AAAAHHH!" Phoebe screamed. The breaking glass and her screaming were enough to wake up Keesha. The dark haired young woman entered the kitchen with a look of sleepiness and irritation mixed equally.

"What the fuck are you doing, Pheebs?"

"Oh, um," a mortified Phoebe stammered. "Just getting some water. I'm so sorry. You know how clumsy I can be."

Keesha had stopped listening, preferring to grab the hand broom and dust pan. "Back away from the glass, and be careful stepping in case some of it got on the floor. Let me clean it up," she commanded.

Phoebe did as she was told, which emboldened Keesha to make more demands. "Go to sleep. You've done all you can to study for your exam. You're going to crush it, but not if you go into it exhausted because you stayed up all night. Sleep is going to benefit you a lot more than cramming, so get your ass to bed, and if *I* have to stay up all night to make sure you sleep, I will."

Over the years, Phoebe had slowly gotten better at standing up for herself. For this though, she had no answer. She knew Keesha was right, and that she had to acquiesce.

"OK Keesh, I'm going," Phoebe said softly as she gingerly walked towards her bedroom.

"Good. Oh, and Pheebs?" The auburn haired young woman turned around. "Seriously, you're going to do great tomorrow."

Phoebe smiled. "Thanks Keesh."

The next day was grueling, and Phoebe let out a big sigh of relief when it was over. Because of the exam, she didn't have to be at the shelter that day. She would have loved to do something relaxing, but exhaustion was setting in, and thus she went back to her apartment to nap. She arrived to find Keesha hard at work on her laptop.

Keesha was lost in her own world and didn't notice Phoebe had come back until she felt the surprise attack hug that snapped her out of it.

"Whoa Pheebs. What's that for?"

"Thanks for taking care of me last night."

Keesha smiled. "Anytime. How did it go?"

"OK…I think. Now, excuse me, I need some sleep."

"Damn right it went OK and damn right you do."

Two months later, Keesha was proven right when Phoebe got the letter saying she passed. Keesha was prepared with the celebratory cheesecake.

* * *

"I got the job in DC!"

"That's great Casey!" Keesha hoped her congratulations sounded sincere. Of course she was happy for her boyfriend, but like most things lately, it just reminded her that graduation was coming soon and she *didn't* have a job.

"Thanks." Casey wrapped his arms around Keesha and twirled her around as they kissed. He could tell something wasn't right though. "Don't get discouraged. You'll find something."

Keesha tried to smile, but it quickly turned upside down. "What if I don't? I'm having enough problems finding a job here in Ohio. In DC it would probably be even harder."

"I don't know about that. There are a lot of political journalist jobs in DC," Casey suggested.

"You don't think I haven't thought of that. The problem is political journalism is so much bullshit and listening to windbags. I'd feel more stenographer than anything else."

Casey nodded, but his good mood had clearly dissipated. "I understand, but…" he trailed off, looking very uncomfortable.

"What?"

He took a deep breath. "Would you be willing to live in DC even if you don't have a job right away?"

Keesha rubbed her temples in anguish. "Oh Casey, I love you, so please don't take this the wrong way, but no. I just…I just can't let myself be supported by a man without contributing. It goes against everything I believe in."

Things went silent as Casey took that in. "Again, I understand, but that means we'd be long distance."

"Yeah, I know. Ugh, there are no good choices here. Why can't I just find a fucking job? Why doesn't anyone fucking want me? I worked so hard. Idiots whose copy I had to bust my ass on to make passable have jobs and I fucking don't. Fuck." Keesha punched the air in frustration. Casey wisely took a step back. These spurts of anger have been becoming more frequent. Casey understood, but he still didn't want to become collateral damage.

The moment passed and Keesha pulled herself together. She looked at her boyfriend. "I can't live with you without full-time work, but I definitely don't want to break up. I…I." She stopped, trying to find the words that would convey her seriousness. Finally, she found them.

"I love you more than Phoebe."

Casey was visibly shocked. "Wow."

"I know. It was just as weird to say."

"So, you're in this for the long haul then?" Casey asked.

"Yeah," Keesha replied. "Are you?" She realized at that point that she didn't know for sure if he was, and as such the moment before his answer became abjectly terrifying.

Of course, such worries were fleeting and unnecessary. "I am. Long distance will suck, but I'm willing to do it because I love you."

With that, the couple hugged, but despite the sentiment, an unspoken apprehension remained.

* * *

At first, Phoebe insisted that they should try and see everyone's Graduation ceremonies. It took as long as a gander at how much a plane ticket to Boston cost to squash that dream. Further complicating matters was that Carlos's graduation at Purdue was the same day as Ashland's, so his was out. Luckily Ohio State's graduation was a week before Ashland's, and thus Keesha and Phoebe headed up to Columbus to stake a spot in Ohio State's giant football stadium for the ceremony.

"Can you see them?" Phoebe asked.

Through her binoculars, Keesha shook her head. "I think I see DA because she's up with the rest of the nerds, but no sign of Arnold. Everyone looks the same with the cap." She turned to their third companion. "You have any idea where he is, Ralphie?"

A vaguely interested Ralphie shook his head as well. "Not a clue." He sighed. Next to him, Phoebe touched his arm. Ralphie had torn his ACL a few months ago, and was still processing the fact that his big league dreams had taken a huge hit. His class load had always been lighter, and thus he wasn't able to graduate yet. He would next year as well as complete his baseball career, having received a medical redshirt this season.

"This is boring," Keesha remarked. "Ours is going to be just as boring, isn't it?"

"Yes, but it's important Keesh, and it's important to celebrate and support our friends…even if we can't see them." Phoebe's eyes began to water at the sentiment.

Keesha laughed. "Never change, Pheebs. Also, make sure to wear something with pockets next week."

A week later, it was time for Ashland's commencement ceremony, held at their (much smaller) football field. Keesha and Phoebe's families found seats near the field, and thanks to the small graduating class were able to locate their daughters in the crowd. DA and Arnold were also there, returning the favor from the week before. Ralphie for his part went to Purdue to support Carlos, along with Tim, who surprised everyone by straight up skipping his own graduation.

None of this changed the fact that Keesha's prediction of boredom was correct. For the Twins, other than the fact that it was their graduation, it felt like every other graduation ceremony they've ever seen. It was so boring Phoebe didn't even cry during it.

Mercifully the ceremony ended and the Ashland University Class of 2008 walked the stage one by one, and with that Keesha and Phoebe were officially graduates. The two milled about the field until they spotted their families and friends.

Keesha arrived first to a big embrace from her father. "I'm so proud of you, Keesha. I love you." His wife for her part stood back looking somewhat uncomfortable.

"Thanks Dad." Keesha moved on to her mother and lastly her grandmother, who to Keesha's surprise was crying. Her grandmother was always warm and loving, but also tended to be stoic.

"Are you OK, Grandma?"

"Oh, I'm wonderful dear. Just so happy for you, and so proud of you. I know you're going to do great things."

Outwardly, Keesha began to tear up and she hugged her favorite adult. Inwardly she winced. It felt hard to do great things when one didn't have a full-time steady job post-graduation yet. She quickly put thoughts away when Casey and his family approached. The couple shared a congratulatory kiss.

A few feet away from that scene, the Tereses were doing what they did best: hug it out. Phoebe was getting it from all angles, from her Uncle Dave to members of her mother's side of the family that she didn't see that often (and where she got a few too many sad "you look just like her" comments for her taste). Her dad intentionally hung back and let the rest of the family have their moments. When Phoebe finished up with them, her uncle corralled the rest of them so father and daughter could have some sort of privacy.

If Phoebe was tired from the hugging, she didn't show it as she practically threw her arms around her father. Mr. Terese felt it coming through intuition of years of it. "I'm sad that you're not my little girl anymore, but you are an incredible young woman. Strong and independent, while still being kind of heart. Words can't fully express how proud I am of you."

"Thanks Daddy." Phoebe sniffled. "And thanks for being best father anyone could ever ask for. I love you."

It was now Mr. Terese's turn to sniffle. "You're welcome pumpkin, but you did this yourself. I love you too. "

For most of the day, Keesha and Phoebe were separated as they were pulled in different directions. Later that afternoon though, they finally had some time to themselves as they packed up the last of their things from the apartment.

Keesha dramatically set a box down. "So, this is it. We're college graduates now."

"Yeah," Phoebe replied. "We're considered adults now." She paused. "Is it normal to be scared?"

Keesha walked over to Phoebe and hugged her. "I can't imagine it isn't. I'm scared too. You're ready though, and I think I am too." She laughed quickly at her self-deprecation before turning serious again. "No matter what happens though, thanks for going through it all with me."

"You're welcome Keesh. Thanks for being the best friend anyone could have."

"You too, buddy."

* * *

Keesha sat in her idling car outside the Terese home, waiting for Phoebe. Keesha was still in disbelief that this day had come, the day that Phoebe was moving to San Francisco. Phoebe's flight from Cleveland was still six hours from leaving, but Keesha still wanted to get there early. It was for openly selfish reasons. She wanted as much as time as possible with her best friend before she left.

For now though, Keesha waited in her car for Phoebe to finish saying goodbye to her father. Keesha knew to give them time. Phoebe and her dad had been through a lot over the years, and while she had become slightly less of a Daddy's Girl as she got older, the two were still very close. Keesha could not begin to fathom how hard this had to be for both of them, which of course, made it even more stunning that Phoebe chose a path so far away.

Finally, Phoebe emerged from the house, her last bag in her hand and tears streaming down her face. Keesha had planned ahead with an open box of tissues on the dashboard, and two more waiting on the passenger's side floor. For a while, neither said anything as Phoebe cried herself out. When she encountered stop signs and red lights, Keesha took her arm off the wheel so she could rub Phoebe's arm. That was how the two always comforted the other. Keesha hoped Phoebe would miss it as much as she would.

By the time they left Walkerville proper and reached the highway, Phoebe had stopped crying, but the two still hadn't said anything. To try and pass the time, Keesha turned on the radio, only to quickly turn it off when the opening bars of "Wide Open Spaces" started playing.

The sudden stop of the radio jolted Phoebe. She let out a deep sigh and said in a low voice, "I'm not sure I can do this."

So much of Keesha wanted to say "Then don't," and immediately turn back. However, she knew she couldn't do that. Instead she said, "Yes, you can. I know it's scary, and I know you're nervous, but you always meet every challenge you face. This will be no different."

"Thanks Keesh, but I've been thinking all morning, and this is crazy! I don't know anyone in San Francisco. I have a few contacts from the program, and one is letting me crash on her couch, but that's it. I don't even have a job yet!"

"Don't think about that, at least right now. Look inside yourself, do you still love San Francisco? Do you still want to live there? Help people there?"

Phoebe closed her eyes. A minute later, she reopened them. "Yes, I do, to all of that," She smiled for the first time all day. "You're right, I can do this."

"Of course you can. No doubt in my mind."

Phoebe closed her eyes again, this time in contentment. "Thanks for supporting me all these years, Keesh."

"You're welcome, Pheebs. I feel the same way about you."

From there, the young women were able to engage in idle chatter, casual enough for them to put the task at hand on the backburner. They were able to keep things loose for the rest of the drive to the airport. By the time Phoebe finished checking in, it was still two hours to her flight. Not needing to go through security yet, she and Keesha sat down opposite of the ticket area. Any easy conversation ceased. Neither knew quite what to say. Not knowing what else to do, Phoebe laid her head on Keesha's shoulder. Keesha responded by putting her head on Phoebe's. A few passersby looked at them strangely, but they paid it no heed. At that moment, they were the only two people in the world in their eyes.

With an hour to go before the flight, Phoebe stood up. Keesha did the same. The tears welled in both their eyes. All that was left was to say something, but what do you say to your closest companion and biggest fixture in your life for the past fourteen years? The two looked at the security line and saw time was running out. They said the only thing they could think of that encompassed all their feelings.

"I love you."

"I love you."

The longtime best friends embraced. After what would be considered long by normal standards, but painfully short to them, they separated and Phoebe headed towards the security line.

"Call me when you land. I don't care how late it is here," Keesha choked out.

Concentrating on not crying, Phoebe couldn't speak, so instead she nodded. Keesha watched her go through the security line. She didn't move until she could no longer see Phoebe. Even then she waited another five minutes, just in case she'd get one more glimpse. Finally, she gave up and trudged back to her car.

Keesha climbed into the driver's side seat, but didn't turn the key. She couldn't stop going over the facts. She was a college graduate, but despite her credentials, had yet to find full-time work. Because of that, she had to move back home, as financially she couldn't join her boyfriend in Washington. All of her college friends had scattered, none to Walkerville. Her friends from Walkerville were also going all over the place, and other than maybe Ralphie, none were coming back home. Now Phoebe, the one rock in her life she could always count on, was gone, completely across the country. Keesha had no idea the next time she would see her. Nothing was going according to how she had hoped. Absolutely nothing.

Keesha buried her face in her hands and wept.

* * *

**A/N**: "Why would I throw Phoebe Terese a Julie Haddock party? Change the names to Ron Swanson and Ann Perkins and you have what Leslie said to Ron on _Parks and Recreation_.

Pickerington Ponds is a park near Columbus I picked at random.

The Keesha/Casey "I love you" scene is heavily borrowed from a similar scene in the movie _Life Partners_.

*sigh* The 2007 ALCS. A friend of mine (a lifelong Indians fan) won the ticket lottery for the World Series. We would have gone to Game 6 had they made it. Those tickets arrived in the mail the day after the ALCS.

The field instruction and licensing exam are both part of the graduation requirements for Ashland University Social Work majors.

"I love you more than Phoebe." This was similar to JD's "I love you more than Turk" to Elliott on _Scrubs_.

Up next: The beginnings of adulthood. It might get bumpy.


	11. Young Adulthood

**A/N:** It took a while, but we've reached adulthood. If you've read _Twenty Years On_, some of this will be familiar. This chapter more or lets gets us to the events of that fic.

* * *

In theory, a five hour flight across the country would be a perfect time to catch up on sleep. Phoebe, however, spent her entire trip to San Francisco wide awake, her mind awash with anxiety and emotion. The drumbeat inside went on incessantly through the entire flight. _Am I making a huge mistake? Can I really make it so far from home? How could I do this to everyone I love?_

As the plane landed, Phoebe forced herself to ignore the flips her stomach was making and focus on the task at hand. She grabbed the few possessions she bought with her and took public transportation to the house she was staying at. A group of Ashland Social Work graduates were living together, and they agreed to let Phoebe crash on their couch while she looked for a job.

When she arrived, two of the three normal residents of the house were there. Phoebe formally introduced herself (she had only communicated with her new roommates via email and phone prior) and was shown to her sofa/bed/entire allotted living space. Phoebe knew she needed to get started on finding work right away, but the long trip and constant worry had taken a toll on her body. She forced herself to call her father and Keesha before giving in to sleep.

* * *

Another day, another long drive home. It was Friday night, at least Keesha was pretty sure it was. Today's freelance assignment sent her all the way to Dayton to cover some festival or something or other. Keesha was frankly too tired to care all that much. The important thing is that the story got filed before deadline. Unfortunately, she was still an hour away from home and precious, precious sleep. She had already been informed she had a job in Akron the next morning. It had only been a few months, and Keesha had already traveled just about every corner in Ohio and had a story published in just about every paper of significance.

It was around ten when Keesha finally stepped inside the Franklin condo. Her mother had already gone to the bed (making it yet another day where mother and daughter didn't speak), but her grandmother stayed up to chat with Keesha while she wolfed down what was left of dinner. By eleven, Keesha was out cold, barely giving herself time to undress and brush her teeth. Just another day.

Coincidentally, ten o' clock Pacific time was when Phoebe was trudging home from work. She came home to an empty house. Her housemates were out partying, their work weeks having been completed that afternoon. Phoebe, however, had still been unable to find a social work job. As such, she was working at a nearby grocery store as a checkout clerk. She was still trying with everything she had to find a job in her chosen field, but the uneven scheduling of the grocery store was making that was hard to job search when you had an afternoon one day, and helped open the store the next.

The one plus was that someone moved out recently, so Phoebe was upgraded from a couch to an actual room. It was barely the size of a walk-in closet, but at least she had some privacy and a place to store her meager possessions. Phoebe walked into her room and forced herself to change out of her work uniform before going to bed. She would Febreze it in the morning and hope she smelled presentable. After some quick freshening up, she went straight to bed, not even bothering to eat. She hadn't paid for any of the food in the house anyway, so she didn't feel she had the right to eat any of it.

Once in bed, she focused on falling asleep. She couldn't let herself think about how it had been months and she still didn't have a job in her chosen field. She couldn't let herself think about how far away she was from everyone she cared about, and how she couldn't call any of them right now because it was way too late back East. She couldn't let herself think about how her housemates mostly thought of her as a rent payment instead of a person. One of them even thought her name was Sharna for some reason.

Mostly though, she couldn't let herself think about how her San Francisco dreams had so far turned into nightmares.

* * *

Dressed in her only suit, Phoebe left the agency and took a deep breath. After over a year of scraping by, she had her best chance yet at finally landing a job in her field. This agency dealt primarily with helping people get needed social services. One of her former roommates had worked there before, and recommended Phoebe when another opening came up. That and her resume were enough to get her an interview. That alone felt like major progress. It had been a few months since Phoebe last had one. She didn't want to admit it, but time was running out, and she was close to the point where she had to consider other options. If this didn't work out, the Peace Corps was suddenly looking like a great idea.

Even accounting for her rustiness, Phoebe had a good feeling about the interview. Despite her lack of experience as an adult, the agency appeared impressed with her work in college and even prior to that. Her field experience at school fit with the agency's mission, as they dealt a lot with battered women. It was enough to leave Phoebe cautiously optimistic that this was finally the right opportunity.

Nevertheless, there were still plenty of butterflies in her stomach. The agency told her it would about a week before a decision would be made. That left a week for Phoebe to try not to think about it, to try not to think about how getting this job could finally let her start her adult life. Phoebe naturally daydreamed of moving out of her current arraignment, finding a new place, and having a fresh start. However, experience had dampened the optimism of her youth. She couldn't let herself think those things were possible. Yet.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her phone chirping. It was a text from Keesha. _How did it go?_

_Well, I think. I want to think this is the one, but…_

_But nothing! You've worked your ass off. No one deserves that position more than you._

_Keesh, c'mon…_

_Shut up Pheebs and take the compliment. Believe in yourself like I and everyone else who knows you believes in you._

Normally the wordsmith of the old gang, Phoebe found herself virtually unable to respond. Her thoughts were a mishmash of gratitude for the support and resignation that Keesha was right yet again. Phoebe had been trying throughout her life to gain self-confidence, but it had been an up and down battle over the years. Right now, it was mostly at a low point exacerbated by the long period of underemployment. Keesha's never ending belief in Phoebe had always been important to her, but right now it was one of the few things keeping her going. All Phoebe could do now was send an emoticon of thanks and wait.

The week passed by at a glacial pace. Finally, Phoebe got the fateful phone call. On the other side was Mary Jenkins, the director of the agency. After some early pleasantries, Mrs. Jenkins got to the point and offered Phoebe the job. She could barely contain herself in accepting.

After a jubilant phone call to her father, Phoebe dialed Keesha.

"Congrats Pheebs!" Keesha practically screamed into the phone.

"Thanks Keesh, and thanks for all your support for, well, ever," Phoebe replied, fighting back tears.

"Let it out," Keesha gently commanded. "You're going to be helping people. Other than possibly saving desert animals, it's what you were born to do."

"I know! It's…I've been trying for so long, I was getting discouraged. I can't wait to start! It feels amazing." Phoebe suddenly paused. "Oh Keesh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't celebrate like this when you're struggling…"

Keesha couldn't shut that line of thinking down fast enough. "Don't apologize for something good happening to you. I know things haven't been great for me, and I know you're worried, but guess what? I've been worried about you just as much. Maybe more so because you're so far from home. So damn it Pheebs, be happy for yourself for once. My time will come."

Phoebe let the line go silent a moment. "I know it will," she said in a soft voice.

"Love you Pheebs."

"Love you Keesh."

* * *

Keesha sat at the dining room table waiting for Casey to return, head kept off of it only by her arm. She had nothing left to give emotionally. She was alone. Her mother had gone out to work on the arraignments. She sat in stone silence until she heard the front door open.

Keesha first saw Casey, but ignored him in favor of Phoebe, who followed him into the house. Without a word, Keesha threw herself into the arms of her best friend and sobbed, having no idea how she still had the ability to make tears.

"I…I don't understand. She was so full of energy. There was no sudden decline. She seemed fine that morning, and just like that…" Keesha collapsed into sobs once again, unable to state that her beloved grandmother was gone. Phoebe didn't say anything as she gently led Keesha to the living room couch.

Once Keesha had cried herself out yet again, she put her head up to look at Phoebe. "Does it ever stop hurting?" she asked.

Phoebe gave Keesha a sad smile. "As time goes by, it gets better, little by little. You'll have moments, even days, where the grief comes out of nowhere and you have to use everything you've got to get through it, but the pain is never as bad as it is right at the beginning." Phoebe sighed. "It never goes away though. The pain stays deep in your soul forever. It just stops letting itself out all the time."

"What if it doesn't?" Keesha asked in a soft, scared voice.

"It will, but until it does we're here for you."

Keesha sniffled. "Thank Pheebs. You and Casey, I don't know what I would've done without you two." When he heard, Casey immediately drove back to Ohio, and when Phoebe heard, she spent hours on the phone and texting Keesha support until her flight back East. "I love you both."

Phoebe smiled. "Thanks, but reinforcements are coming?"

"What do you mean?"

"I got a hold of the rest of the gang, and they're all on their way. They should get here by the funeral."

"Really? Even Wanda?"

"Even Wanda, although I'm not quite sure how. I hope she didn't go AWOL."

Keesha threw her arms around Phoebe. She had intended to tell all her friends, but in her grief stricken state could only manage to reach out to her best friend and boyfriend. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you." The two stayed in that embrace for a long time.

* * *

Phoebe stepped outside the church and took a seat on a bench near the front steps. The service for Mrs. Franklin had concluded and everyone was mostly milling about. Phoebe had not left Keesha's side all day until that moment, when Keesha went to the bathroom and refused to let Phoebe go in with her. Chastened, Phoebe decided that was as good a time as any to get some fresh air.

She sat lost in her own world when she heard, "There you are!" She shook herself out of her head to see Ralphie heading towards her. He asked if he could sit down, and Phoebe nodded towards the spot next to her.

Ralphie got right to the point. "So Pheebs, I just wanted to say thanks for being there for Keesha and making sure we all got here for this."

Phoebe smiled sadly. "Thanks, but of course I would do that for Keesha. I would do that for any of us." She paused, noticing Ralphie looking at her with concern. "Is that all you had to say?"

"Um, no." Ralphie took a deep breath. "How are you doing?"

"Well, I've been better of course, but why do you ask?"

"Because Pheebs, you've been running around this whole time taking care of Keesha." He grabbed her hand. "I wanted to make sure someone was taking care of you."

Phoebe blushed at the physical contact, even though it was clear it was far from a romantic gesture. "I've talked to Daddy a bit, but no, I've been focusing on what Keesha needs."

"I understand, and it's why she's so lucky to have you as your best friend, but we all know you were really close to Mrs. Franklin too."

Something inside Phoebe hit her with enough force to knock her back. "Yeah, I remember when we were getting ready for Prom and she called me her other granddaughter. It felt amazing. She was the closest person I had to a mother growing up, and…" At that point, Phoebe couldn't take it anymore and started to cry, finally letting the emotion out that she had been holding in all week.

Ralphie wasted no time in enveloping Phoebe in a hug as she cried. "Thanks Ralphie," sniffled Phoebe once she finished. "How did you know I needed that?"

"Because I noticed the tension in your face of you trying to hold it together, and I was willing to bet you had been too focused on Keesha to deal with your own grief." Upon seeing Phoebe's incredulous look, he put up his hands in defense. "What? I can notice things. I wasn't the only one."

Phoebe's face softened and she put her head on his shoulder. "Thanks Ralphie."

"Anytime Pheebs."

* * *

Phoebe had been on the job for a few months now, and every day her co-workers thought the same thing: _She's going to burn out_. Phoebe hit the ground running at the agency on day one, and to the amazement of everyone there, kept it going thus far. Phoebe was often the first in the office in morning, and almost always the last to leave. In between she traversed all over the city visiting cases that weren't visiting her in the office. Her cases loved her for it. Mrs. Jenkins, the director, was on one hand thrilled with her newest employee, but concerned on the other. Phoebe was by far the first new employee she had convinced they were going to save the world. Many others had throw themselves into the work those early months, only to quickly become disillusioned and leave. Phoebe was by far the first new employee Mrs. Jenkins had to have this talk with.

"Is something wrong?" Phoebe asked after greeting her boss and accepting her offer to sit down.

"In a way, no, but in another way, yes," Mrs. Jenkins replied in a firm voice.

"Um, I'm not following."

"Phoebe, there's no need to sugarcoat it, you've been amazing since you started here. I wish all my employees had your enthusiasm."

"Thanks!" Phoebe beamed.

"However," Mrs. Jenkins continued. Phoebe's face fell. "I'm concerned about how hard you've been going. You started here six months ago, and other than when you went back home for that funeral, I don't think you've taken any days off. You can't keep up this pace. No one can."

"But, I have to try right? So many people out there need our help." Phoebe pleaded her case.

Mrs. Jenkins was unmoved. "Yes, a lot of people need help, but if you burn yourself out, then you won't be able to help them." She sighed. "I've seen it happen plenty of times before, and it's always painful to witness. You have great potential in this field. All of your cases seem to love their 'Miss Phoebe,' but if you try to save everyone, in the end you won't save anyone."

Mrs. Jenkins paused to allow what she said to sink in. Phoebe took a deep breath. "I understand what you're saying, but it's hard. I waited a long time for this opportunity, and I feel I have to take every advantage while I'm here. I owe it to my cases to give them everything I've got."

If Mrs. Jenkins had a reaction to Phoebe's words, she didn't show it. "Please keep thinking about what I said. Don't miss the forest for the trees."

"Yes, ma'am," Phoebe responded as she stood up to get back to work.

* * *

"Keesha, I don't understand why you won't take any jobs from the Youngstown paper anymore."

"Because Youngstown is a shithole and the paper takes forever to pay me. I've told you that before, Mom! Jeez!" Keesha braced inwardly for yet another fight.

"I don't think you're in a position to turn down work," her mother said icily.

"I've been all over the state the past two years! I just had a piece published in _Scientific America_! When I'm not working, I'm chasing them down so they actually pay me! At some point I have to slow down. My body and my car can't take this pace anymore. If you paid any attention at all, you'd notice that."

"How dare you say I don't pay attention, Keesha. I'm your mother, and I'm going to worry about you…"

"By making it clear you want me out of this house," Keesha interrupted.

'That's not what I said!"

"No, but I can feel it in your tone, and I hear that all the time. What else am I supposed to do?" Keesha felt her body tense up. That was becoming a frequent occurrence.

"You could try harder to look for a full-time job and not spend so much time on blogging and Facebook."

"It's called social media, Mom. It's another way to get my name out there, and to write what I want for a change!"

"Keesha, stop yelling!" her mother retorted, beginning to raise her voice herself.

"I can do what I want! I'm an adult!"

"This is still my house, and if you want to be treated like an adult, act like one."

That clichéd response sent Keesha over the edge. With an annoyed growl, she stormed out of the condo that these days felt painfully constricting. She got into her now beat-up Honda, figuring a drive would calm her down. _This is the last straw. We can't keep going like this,_ Keesha thought. Since Keesha moved back home, tension had existed between her and her mother. That tension had only gotten worse since Keesha's grandmother died. Keesha didn't want to ruin her relationship with her mother any more than it may have already been.

Luckily she had a plan. Little by little she had been saving up money, and recently she began clandestinely searching for apartments. It wouldn't be a lot, but at least it was some distance and she would be on her own with no help from anyone. Her father offered to help pay many times, but Keesha always refused. She already felt beholden to one parent. There was no way she was going to be beholden to the other.

Figuring her angry drive should at least be productive, Keesha took a detour to the apartment complex she was looking at. Admittedly, it wasn't much. The units were small, even smaller than the apartment she lived at in college. They weren't especially pleasant looking either, and Keesha wasn't one hundred percent sure they weren't hiding a roach problem. None of that mattered. What mattered was that it would be her own space where she could be herself and grow as a person. It was beyond time.

Keesha normally didn't give in to impulse, but before she knew it she had a lease in her hand and was writing a check for the security deposit. She left the complex in a daze, but also with a schedule to move in on the first of next month.

About halfway back to where she currently lived, Keesha realized that she should probably tell someone about this new development. She pulled into a gas station and quickly fired off texts to both Casey and Phoebe. To her surprise given the time difference, she heard back from Phoebe first.

_That's great that you're getting out on your own! But shouldn't you have discussed this with your mother first?_

Keesha sighed at Phoebe's do-gooderism kicking in. _Maybe, but oh well._

_I get that you need to move out, but please talk with your mother first. Don't leave angry._

Keesha sighed again. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew Phoebe was right.

_OK, I promise I'll talk to her._

_Great! This will be good for you, Keesh. I promise._

Keesha tried to think of a response until she noticed Casey had replied. He more or less said the same thing as Phoebe. Keesha smiled. If the two most important people in her life agreed, that usually meant she should take the advice. She restarted her car and prepared herself for the awkward talk to follow.

* * *

The phone rang and Keesha nearly dropped it once she saw the number, her hands were shaking so much in anticipation.

"Keesha Franklin speaking," she answered, forcing her voice to steady.

"Hello, Ms. Franklin, this is John Pierson from _Scientific American_. I'm proud to offer you our Staff Writer position in Washington DC. How soon can you start?"

Inside, Keesha jumped for joy. Outwardly, she remained professional. "Thank you very much, sir. I accept. I can start in two weeks. I just have to tie up some loose ends here and move. I'll let you know if it takes any longer than that, but I don't anticipate it."

"Excellent! HR should be in touch later today or tomorrow. Welcome abroad!"

Keesha put down the phone. Alone in her apartment, she dropped all pretense of decorum, whooping it up in raw celebration. She had been freelancing at _Scientific American_ for a while now, and when a full-time job opened there, she pounced at the opportunity. Outwardly, Keesha had projected confidence as she always did, sure that her previous work there gave her a leg up. Inwardly it was a very different story. Keesha had gotten her hopes up many times that she would get full-time work, only for reality to cut her off at the knees. The normally ever sure of herself Keesha had become filled with doubt, and with all of her friends and boyfriend not around, she also felt more and more alone. All of that could be put behind her now. Again under control of herself, it was time to inform the most important person in her life.

As she dialed the number, however, another thought came to her. _Thank you Miss Frizzle, wherever you are. I would never have loved science the way I do without you, and without that, none of this would've happened._

At work, Casey was surprised to get a call from his girlfriend. They talked often of course, but Keesha was usually on the road or writing when he was at work. Casey braced himself before answering, figuring it was either really good or really bad news.

"Hello…"

"I got the job!" Keesha yelled into the phone.

"Really? That's…yes!" Casey yelled back.

"I know! I'm hoping to get down in two weeks, so get ready."

"Awesome. Perfect timing too. My roommate moved out last month, so it's just me right now. It'll be nice to have someone else helping out with the rent."

"Among other things," Keesha slyly added.

Casey chuckled. "But of course, milady."

Keesha breathed a sigh of relief. "I guess it's true that sometimes it does all work out."

The couple talked for almost an hour before someone realized Casey was occupied and forced him back to work. From there, Keesha went right back into planning mode. She said two weeks and she meant it.

A few hours passed before she realized she hadn't let Phoebe know. Her parents either, but that realization literally made Keesha shrug. She looked at the time. It was nearing six on the West Coast, so Keesha took the gamble that Phoebe wasn't working for once. That gamble failed when she got Phoebe's voice mail. Keesha texted Phoebe to call her, then suddenly realizing her fatigue, decided to go to bed early. Much more work, and celebrating, was ahead.

* * *

"So, how's the new roommate? Caitlin's the name, right?" Keesha asked.

"Right. It's going OK, so far," came Phoebe's reply from the other end of the phone. Now that the two had each found steady work, regular phone conversations became possible again, and both took full advantage. They had also begun experimenting with Skype. "She did call me a stereotypical Birkenstock wearing hippie though."

"I couldn't imagine where she'd get _that_ from."

"I know! I only own one pair of Birkenstocks."

"Please tell me they're not your pair from high school."

"Ewww. Even I got tired of the smell of those. This pair is new." Phoebe paused. "Seriously, she seems nice, even though she's in politics."

"Politics? How so?"

"She's an aide for our local Assemblyman. She helps run his office here while he's in Sacramento." Phoebe paused again. "Maybe I can use her as an in to ask him to fight for more funding for the agency."

"Phoebe Terese trying to get close to The Man. The world has truly got insane," Keesha said drolly.

"Hey, if it gets us more money to help people it'll be worth it." Phoebe paused. "Especially if that means having to go to less fundraisers with tech bros who are more interested in trying to grab my ass." Phoebe let out a noise in disgust.

"That blows Pheebs. I'm sorry," Keesha said in sympathy, not sure what else there was to say about it.

"Thanks. How's life in DC?"

"Traffic sucks and everyone is obsessed with status, but it's nice. Honestly, it's just great to be with Casey again, even if I have to retrain him in the art of not leaving clothes on the floor."

Phoebe giggled. "Men. Leave them alone and they think they're back in their college dorm."

"So true, but he's getting better. I'll have him under my control soon enough." Keesha said the last sentence in her usual deadpan, causing Phoebe to giggle.

Their conversation was interrupted by a distinct _meow_. "What was that?" Keesha asked.

"Oh, that's Caitlin's cat, Sadie. She already loves me." On her end of the line, Phoebe picked up the cat and snuggled her with her free hand. "I think she's the real reason Caitlin chose me."

"Animals love you, Pheebs. They just know."

The two continued catching up, and before they knew it, an hour has passed. It had been a while since they were able to do that.

* * *

Both looking resplendent, Keesha and Phoebe beamed as they watched Arnold and his new wife's first dance. Arnold had met Kathleen while at law school at Georgetown. She was studying elementary education at American University. Under the backdrop of Washington DC, the two fell in love, and Arnold wasted little time in proposing after he graduated and passed the bar. Kathleen was working at a Virginia suburban school as a third grade teacher, a fact the gang had yet to stop teasing Arnold about.

When the dance was completed, the floor was opened up to the rest of the party, and Keesha and Casey wasted no time showing everyone how it was done. Phoebe, who did not have a date, smiled even wider. Keesha and Casey had only grown closer now that they were finally living together, and it seemed destined that they would be the next in the group to get married. It filled Phoebe's heart with joy to see her best friend so happy.

Phoebe eventually turned her eye towards the rest of the dance floor. She came across the person after the bride and groom that everyone was paying attention to: Carlos's date.

Phoebe hadn't had the chance to talk to Carlos yet and get more details, but one thing was obvious to her: Carlos's date was the most gorgeous woman she had ever seen. Her flowing black hair cascaded perfectly down her shoulders. Phoebe couldn't stop watching it move as Carlos twirled her around. Even when her hair was quiet, Phoebe would still find herself staring at the women's caramel skin and perfect curves. Phoebe was enthralled with her every move.

The music temporarily stopped and Keesha and Casey returned to the table, jarring Phoebe out of her thoughts. There was something about Phoebe's look that didn't sit right with Keesha.

"Pheebs, you OK with Arnold getting married?"

"What?" Phoebe made a face. "Yes, of course. That was a long time ago, Keesh. Arnold is happy. Kathleen is great. We're all here. Why does everyone keep asking if I'm OK with it?"

"Who else has asked you?"

"Wanda."

"She probably did that just to mess with you," Keesha figured. She turned to the dance floor to see Wanda shaking her moneymaker in front of Arnold's horrified extended family, giving special attention to a disgusted Janet. "She's really living it up, isn't she?"

Phoebe nodded, but her eyes were intently looking at Wanda. "I'm just glad she could make it and wasn't deployed again."

Their conversation was interrupted by Carlos and his date.

"Hey, the Twins are here!" Carlos practically yelled, grin plastered on his face as he reached over the table to hug both of them. "And my man Casey!" Carlos gave Casey a half handshake, half hug, acting as if they were long lost friends. The boisterous greetings were interrupted by Carlos's date clearing her throat. Even that sounded amazing to Phoebe.

"Oh of course, where are my manners," Carlos began, but his date took the ball from there.

"Hi everyone, my name is Martina," she said with a slight accent. "To answer your questions, yes, I'm Carlos's girlfriend. Yes, I'm from another country, Colombia to be specific. Yes, he knows how lucky he is."

Carlos just nodded. "That more or less covers it."

Keesha laughed and stuck out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Martina. I enjoy your directness."

"Thank you," Martina replied with a smile, shaking Keesha's hand. She looked at Keesha and Phoebe. "So you two are the Twins Carlos has told me about. Let me guess, you're Keesha and this is Phoebe." Martina pointed at each of them. "And this is Keesha's boyfriend Casey," she said as she shook his hand.

"Correct," said Keesha with a smile of her own. "I hope it was all good things."

"Yeah," Phoebe croaked out, still intimidated by both Martina's beauty and how she carried herself.

"Of course." She turned to Carlos. "You were right, Keesha would be the one doing all the talking." Phoebe could only blush at that remark.

"So, how long have you two been together?" Casey asked to steer the conversation and bail Phoebe out.

"About two years now," Carlos responded. "I saw her at a bar, took a good look at her beauty, and made my move."

"Shut up Carlos. We met in a salsa dancing class. I took pity on your terrible moves, and by damned, you charmed me enough that I kept you around." Martina leaned in and kissed him, showing the others she was teasing. The other three laughed.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Carlos continued. "We've been living together for a few months. It's going well I think."

"Of course it is for you. You get to dazzle in my awesomeness." Martina added coolly in a way that somehow didn't sound arrogant or boastful. "Pardon me. I have to use the restroom. It was nice meeting your all." She gave a friendly wave as she took her leave.

Once Martina was out of earshot, Keesha pounced. "Do not screw this up, Carlos. I mean it. Do. Not. Screw. This. Up."

"Why does everyone keep telling me that?"

"Because she's amazing!" Phoebe piped up. "And uh, seems really good for you." The auburn haired young woman blushed.

"Salsa dancing? Smooth move man," Casey added, again taking the focus off of Phoebe's embarrassment.

"Yeah it was." Carlos grinned. "I'd give you the same advice, but you're covered. I'm trying to get Ralphie and Tim to do it, but they're not having it."

"Yes, he's 'covered' Carlos," Keesha remarked. "I see Martina hasn't completely smoothed out your Carlos-ness."

"Hey, she likes me for me," Carlos replied while pretending to dust off his lapels. "I can't complain. She's pretty awesome."

"I'm just happy you're having a good time. I know you were bummed to lose the best man gig to Ralphie," Phoebe interjected, having regained her voice.

"He's so much bigger! How was I supposed to beat him in a chugging contest?" Carlos bemoaned. He left to find Martina, shaking his head all the way.

Keesha and Phoebe looked at each other. "That was…interesting," said Keesha, choosing her words carefully.

"Yeah, I mean, Carlos, of all people, settling down," Phoebe added.

Keesha turned to Casey. "OK, that's enough rest. There's way too much lame white people dancing right now, plus whatever Wanda is doing. Let's show up some fools."

Casey smiled. "Absolutely."

"Hold down the fort, Pheebs," Keesha commanded.

"Will do," Phoebe softly responded before retreating into her thoughts and her glass of wine.

* * *

Keesha entered her DC apartment with a sigh of relief. She had just gotten back from a trip to Florida to research a story. The trip itself wasn't that bad. The flight and commute home were. At least now she could finally relax, although much later than she had hoped.

Lucky for her, Casey was at the ready with a glass of wine. He grabbed her bags while leading her to the living room couch. When he returned, Keesha wasted no time in burying herself in Casey's arms, head on his shoulder.

"Oh, how I've missed this," Keesha practically cooed.

"You were only gone three days. We went without each other for almost three years," Casey playfully replied.

"Don't remind me. I never want to go through that again. I could stay like this forever."

Casey grinned and kissed her forehead. "Me too."

"Is this how you imagined living together?" Keesha asked, a faint hint of trepidation in her voice.

"I didn't imagine weeks of lecturing on cleaning," Casey started before stopping. "On second thought, I kind of did, but I earned those lectures." He laughed. "Seriously, it's even better than I imagined."

Now it was Keesha's turn to grin. "Me too. What say we head to the bedroom and make it even better?"

"You read my mind." Casey couldn't get up from the couch fast enough.

* * *

Phoebe collapsed onto her bed with a contented sigh. It had been another long day traversing the streets of San Francisco, doing whatever was needed for her cases. She had been trying to take Mrs. Jenkins's advice to slow down, but it still hadn't taken. She wouldn't have it any other way, but it didn't make her any less tired at the end of the day. As her roommate's cat entered the room looking for attention, Phoebe got up with just enough energy to grab her library copy of _The Optimist's Daughter_ and get ready for her night's reading.

Phoebe had just begun to sink her teeth into the book when she felt a buzz from her phone. She looked to find a text from Keesha.

_Skype me as soon as you can. Trust me, it's good news._

Phoebe took a moment to stare at the phone, wondering what could possibly be so urgent. She snapped out of it and grabbed her laptop (her college graduation gift from the family). Once it booted up, she opened up Skype and texted Keesha. A minute later, the two were connected.

"Hey Pheebs!" Keesha was beaming. Phoebe hadn't seen her best friend like this in a long time.

"Hey Keesh. How it's going?"

Keesha giggled in excitement. Instead of saying anything, she showed her left hand to the screen, revealing a diamond ring.

Phoebe immediately put her hands to her mouth and squealed in delight. Keesha could only squeal in return.

"Casey asked me tonight. I mean, we had been talking about it, but I still can't believe it," Keesha said, her mouth going at warp speed.

"Oh congratulations! I'm so happy for you." Tears began to well in Phoebe's eyes.

"Thanks Pheebs. I do have a question though."

"What?"

"Will you be my maid of honor?"

"Of course I will!" The tears now flowed freely onto Phoebe's cheeks, which only caused Keesha to start to cry herself. The two sat in silence until Casey suddenly appeared on screen.

"Hey Pheebs. Looks like you heard the news."

"Yes! Congratulations! I can't wait for the wedding!"

Casey chuckled. "Good, but I do have to ask you something."

"What?" Phoebe asked with a confused look.

"Will you marry me?"

"What?" Phoebe asked again, now with even more confusion. She looked at Keesha for a clue, but the dark haired woman just smiled.

"Well, everyone had told me that by asking Keesha to marry me, I was also essentially asking you too, so I wanted to make it official," Casey deadpanned, which sent Keesha into a laughing fit.

"In that case, then yes, you can," Phoebe replied with a giggle.

* * *

**A/N: **The text messages have proper grammar for readability purposes. I'm well aware no one texts like that.

I left Phoebe's social work job intentionally vague because of my general cluelessness on the topic.

The next chapter will be the last, and will take us to a familiar event in my fic canon.**  
**


	12. Life Changes

**A/N:** Well, we've finally reached the end, and naturally for this behemoth, this is one of the longer chapters. Maybe at some point I'll go back and put out a Director Cut that trims some of the fat in this thing. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Keesha and Phoebe said nothing as they waited for the latter's bus. The night before had been their ten year high school reunion, and both were exhausted from hanging with their friends well into the night. Despite her fatigue though, Phoebe's face was contorted in thought. Keesha knew why.

"Are you going to take the job?" Keesha asked, breaking their long silence. While back home, Phoebe was offered a chance to become Associate Director of the Walkerville Animal Shelter. On paper, going for the job was obvious. In reality, moving cross country and uprooting her life once again made it a little more difficult.

"I don't know." Phoebe paused. "I want to help people, but…" Another pause. "It's getting harder all the time, and San Francisco isn't the place it was when I first moved there. The tech boom has made it so hard to live there for everyone who isn't rich. More and more people are homeless and need help."

"So, take the job then," interrupted Keesha in a moment of glibness.

"But part of me feels I need to stay. As more people slip through the cracks, more need someone to step up and be their advocate." Phoebe sighed. "The shelter job feels like a dream for me, but what about everyone else?"

"I understand Pheebs, and it's your decision, but remember what we've all been telling you. You have to decide what's best for you, not anyone else."

Phoebe nodded. "I know." At that moment, she saw her bus pull up. "I gotta go." She threw her arms around Keesha. "I love you. I'll call you when I get home."

"It'll be two days before you get home. Text me once in a while as proof of life."

"OK. Text me some wedding details. We have a year to plan this!"

"Ugh, don't remind me."

The cross country bus ride gave Phoebe a lot of time to think about it. She forced herself to follow everyone's advice and think selfishly for once. She thought of her life in San Francisco outside of work, such as it was: the ever rising housing costs, the lack of socialization, the lack of romance. Phoebe had to conclude that she hadn't been allowing herself a release valve. She was lucky she hadn't burned out yet, and the crazy thing was, she couldn't really think of a reason why she hadn't.

The resolve to think of herself could only last so long though. Phoebe drifted off to sleep mentally noting which cases she had to prioritize when she got back.

* * *

_Where am I? _Phoebe said to herself as she woke up in a strange bed. Her eyes gazed around looking for clues. The search revealed it was about seven am. It also revealed the naked woman in the bed next to Phoebe. That's when the events of the previous night came back to her.

That morning Phoebe had interviewed for the animal shelter position. Stressed out from that, she decided to accept a party invitation from Caitlin for once ("Thank God. There's still a chance you'll get a life some day."). Phoebe had hoped it would take her mind off things. She forgot something important though: She hated parties and large, loud crowds of people she didn't know. She was in deer in the headlights mode from the moment she arrived. Not much of a drinker, she tried beer in a desperate attempt to quell the anxiety. All it did was make her feel queasy. Caitlin and her politico friends she sort of knew were nowhere to be found, lost in the cacophony.

Phoebe was ready to cut her losses and head home when she saw a woman: brown hair, brown eyes, amazing figure. For some reason, Phoebe was drawn to this woman, and the next thing she knew, she was heading straight for her.

Her name was Caroline. She bartended at a place Caitlin liked to frequent after work. Maybe it was that bartending training in making people feel important, but the way Caroline talked to Phoebe, it was like she was the only person in the world. Phoebe, so used to feeling like nobody in social settings, hadn't felt that special in a long time. It was no surprise that when Caroline suggested leaving the party and hanging out at her place, Phoebe immediately agreed.

It started slow at Caroline's place, just two young women talking over a glass or two of wine. Phoebe vaguely recalled Caroline mentioning being a lesbian, but of course that mattered not to her. She couldn't help but be enthralled with everything Caroline said and with every move she made.

As she recounted it in her mind, Phoebe was pretty sure she hadn't been drunk. Still, it all felt like a blur from that point. Next thing she knew, she was in this bedroom: Caroline's bedroom. The final piece of the puzzle came to her like a speeding locomotive. Each detail hit with equal parts thrill and fear. Phoebe had never felt that exhilarated sexually before, but it being from sex with a woman? That produced nothing but questions.

Phoebe looked over at the sleeping Caroline. She was just as beautiful as she was last night. Phoebe had no idea when she might wake up. Needing to process, Phoebe decided she couldn't wait. She quickly scribbled a note and her phone number and put it on the nightstand. She put her clothes back on and began her walk home.

Phoebe's thoughts raced as she headed home. _That was amazing, but does that make me a lesbian? Not that it would be bad if I was, but wouldn't I have known by now? What am I? And what about my friends? Wanda and DA and, oh God, Keesha. If I were a lesbian, wouldn't I have had feelings for them?_

Phoebe made it home, and ignoring the questions from Caitlin, went straight to her room and closed the door. She checked the time: eight am. Keesha would be awake. Phoebe dialed as fast as her fingers could type.

"Hey Pheebs," Keesha answered.

"Hey Keesh. Do you have some time to talk?"

"Um, how important is this? I have to meet a possible caterer at one, and I really need to work on this story until then."

"Very."

Keesha took stock of Phoebe's tone, which was both serious and a little scared. Something big was up. She sighed. "OK, what happened?"

"I had sex."

"Really Phoebe? Good for you, I'm busy and if that's all that happened…"

"With a girl."

"Oh," Keesha paused her rant, but after a beat recovered. "That's new, but c'mon Pheebs? Why the freak out?"

"Because like you said, it's new, and uh, it was amazing."

"How amazing?" Keesha's irritation was starting to turn into curiosity. Phoebe having a lesbian experience didn't surprise her all that much. The angst surrounding it did.

"The best sex I've ever had. Without question."

"Well then."

"I know. Oh Keesh, Caroline was…incredible."

"I see we have a name."

"Keesh! Be serious please! This is all really confusing."

"Sorry Pheebs, you're right. Why is it confusing? You've definitely had some girl crushes over the years."

"What do you mean?"

"What would you do right now if Martina wanted to leave Carlos for you?"

"Really!"

"No, but see my point."

Phoebe sighed. "Yeah, I do." She took a moment to collect herself. "This is different. I'm not sure what I am now."

"So what and what does it matter? You're still you. You're still kind, strong, and caring to everyone around you. That's who Phoebe Terese is, whether she's straight, gay, bi, or whatever."

"Thanks Keesh," Phoebe sniffled, having been brought to tears. "There's one other thing though."

"You're wondering why you're not in love with me, Wanda, or DA?"

"How did you guess?"

"I'm just that good. Luckily, there's an easy answer to that. All four of us grew up together. We're like sisters to each other. We love each other, but not in that way. It would be too weird. Make sense?"

Phoebe thought a moment. "Yeah, I guess it does."

Keesha jumped back in. "Pheebs, you've got a lot on your plate right now. Try to stay out of your head and avoid existential crises. You have to time to figure it out, and if you want to have some fun with Caroline right now, do it."

"I'll try. Thanks Keesh. You're the best." Phoebe looked at the clock. "Oh no, I used up all your writing time! I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright Pheebs. I can do it after the meeting with the caterer. It's still the weekend."

"OK, good luck with the caterer."

"Thanks. Remember to relax."

The women said their goodbyes and hung up. Phoebe laid back on her bed and steeled herself for what was to come.

Two days later, the call Phoebe was both dreading and hoping for and looking forward to with every fiber of her being finally came. She picked up and skipped a beat when she heard "Hi Phoebe," from Caroline's voice.

"Hi Caroline. Um, listen I…"

"Freaked out because it was your first lesbian hook up and ran? Don't worry about it. It happens to everyone. I mean, you're a little old to be a baby queer, but we all discover ourselves at different paces."

"Um, thanks for understanding, but I'm still sorry I ran out on you."

"That's appreciated. If it helps, I was just having fun. I'm not looking for a relationship right now. Plus if I remember, you may be leaving town soon."

"Yeah, I might. I'm impressed you remember."

"Listening is a bartender's true skill. Look, if you want to have some more fun before you leave, hit me up. You're a good egg Phoebe, and that was a fun night. I'm glad I was your first."

"Um, thanks, and it was."

"Good luck." With that, Caroline hung up, leaving Phoebe alone with her thoughts.

* * *

"First things first, no pink," Wanda declared.

"Is your faith in me that low?" Keesha countered. The four Frizzle women were in a group Skype session. Wedding planning had been slow going, but since the reunion, the future Franklin-Adams family finally committed to getting this done. Having a date (July 21, 2015) tends to introduce a sense of urgency into these things. Keesha had wanting to discuss things with her main bridesmaids for a while, but herding four very different people living in four different places with four different schedules was far from easy.

"Wanda, shut up," DA commanded. "Keesha, what do you want us to do and when do you need it? The earlier you can tell us that, the better." Time was forever of the essence for Dorothy Ann. As the newest cardiology resident at her hospital, free time was a fleeting luxury.

"I need you all to find a tasteful green dress and send me a picture before you buy it. I don't care about the style, although if you three can coordinate and be somewhat close it would be nice. Also, get Julie and Casey's sister involved too." Keesha's old college roommate Julie was unavailable at the moment but also was a bridesmaid. So was Casey's older sister Jacqueline, albeit less willingly.

"You're allowing interlopers! That'll break our solemn bond," Wanda cried out in fake hysteria.

"Whatever Wanda," Keesha continued, seemingly having missed Wanda was kidding.

"What about shoes?" DA asked to get things back on track.

"Again, don't care as long they're green and look nice. Wear a heel if you want, just be sure you can walk in them."

"So Pheebs, don't bother. We don't need a giant person falling down distracting people from the bride," Wanda joked.

"You saw me at the reunion Wanda. You know I can dress myself fine now," Phoebe said through clenched teeth.

"OK then. Sheesh. I forgot you sort of know how to defend yourself now, and that you're probably still mad your girlfriend is getting married." Wanda's last quip called Phoebe to blush. The encounter with Caroline and what it meant was still weighing heavily on her mind.

"Can you all shut up for a second," Keesha interrupted.

"Yeah, I don't have to time for your distractions, Wanda," DA added, looking at her watch.

"Are you on call right now?" Phoebe asked

"Uh, technically yes. Don't tell anyone," DA replied sheepishly.

"Is that we're talking so late? I need my beauty sleep," Wanda complained.

"And what did you do all day pray tell?" asked Keesha.

"Uh, I'm trying meditating to deal with stress," Wanda replied not particularly convincingly.

"Ooh, meditating is good!" Phoebe exclaimed. "We should meditate together if I come back to Walkerville!"

Wanda hemmed and hawed at the suggestion, but was soon rescued by DA asking Phoebe, "Have you decided about the job yet?"

Phoebe shook her head. "Still thinking."

Keesha cleared her throat. "From now on I'm talking to you all individually. Nothing gets done when it's all four of us."

"It was nice to talk with each other again though. We need to do it more often," Phoebe said softly.

Even Wanda and Keesha couldn't help but smile. "True," Keesha smiled. "But for now, we're not doing it to talk wedding planning. Oh wait, one exception. Find one weekend in February or March you can potentially travel for wedding dress shopping."

"But you just said we can get those ourselves?" Wanda asked.

"My dress, you dolt!"

"Oh, that makes sense."

Phoebe squealed at the thought of wedding dress shopping. DA gave a thumbs up to the screen before suddenly looking down. "Crap, I'm getting paged. Gotta go."

"Good, I'm outta here too. Night bitches," added Wanda.

From their ends of the Skype call, Keesha and Phoebe looked at each other. "I should've expected all of that, shouldn't I?" the former asked.

"Probably."

Keesha sighed. "Try and talk with them about a dress date."

"You got it, Keesh. Relax, we're going to come through for you."

"OK, but don't forget you have a bachelorette party to plan."

"Eep!"

* * *

Phoebe swallowed hard before knocking on Mrs. Jenkins's door. This both felt right and very wrong at the same time.

Upon hearing the "Come in" from her boss, Phoebe entered. Swallowing again, she handed Mrs. Jenkins her resignation letter. Mrs. Jenkins silently read it. "We will miss you greatly, Phoebe, but we understand you have to do what's best for you and your career." Mrs. Jenkins stood up to shake Phoebe's hand. "Best of luck in Walkerville, and please know you are always welcome back."

"Thank you Mrs. Jenkins. Thank you for giving me a chance."

"You're welcome and thank you for giving us your very best all the time." With that, the pleasantries were over and it was back to business. "You have two weeks left. You'll be spending most, if not all, of your time remaining winding down things with your cases and assisting in their transition to another caseworker. Don't worry, you are not expected to get it all done in the time you have left."

Phoebe's face fell. "Yeah, my cases," she said in a sad voice.

"I won't lie to you. It's going to hurt for most of them, but you know we're going to do everything we can. People change jobs. Your cases will understand. They want what's best for you too."

"I know, but it doesn't make it any easier."

The next two weeks were tough. Most of Phoebe's cases understood her decision, but that didn't make it hurt any less that their "Miss Phoebe" was leaving. A lot of tears were shed. Each of them figuratively stabbed Phoebe in the heart. She had heard all the advice to think of herself, but as she said goodbye to each person she had worked so hard for, it felt like such a selfish decision. She was needed here. Why was she abandoning these people that trusted her and depended on her?

On her last day, Phoebe robotically boxed up the few personal effects she kept at her desk. In the end, it was anticlimactic. Phoebe packed up, the rest of the office treated her with cake and wished her well, and that was that.

_I hope I made the right decision_ was the thought that dominated inside Phoebe's head as she left the agency and closed that chapter of her life.

* * *

"I don't get it Pheebs. Why of all people would you pick Wanda to help you move back?"

"Keesh, you know she's been struggling since she was discharged. I'm hoping some time on the open road with a good friend will do her some good."

"That's very Phoebe of you, but how will that do _you_ any good?"

"I'll make sure she only drives in the flat areas of the country where traffic should be light, just in case."

"Good idea, but I'm still going to worry. A cross country trip with Wanda and the cat sounds like a recipe for disaster." Phoebe's roommate Caitlin had recently gotten engaged and was planning to move in with her fiancée. The place they were moving to didn't allow pets, so Caitlin gave her cat Sadie to Phoebe as a going away present. _She would miss you way more than she would me_, Caitlin reasoned.

"Noted."

There was a pause on each end of the line before Phoebe realized something and filled the dead air. "Keesh, are you mad I didn't ask you to come with me?"

"What? No…" Keesha stopped, knowing she wasn't fooling anyone. "Yeah, a little. Well, not mad, just sad."

From San Francisco, Phoebe's face fell. "I'm sorry. You know I'd love to do this with you, but you're really busy. You have your job and planning your wedding. Wanda has the time and needs this. You understand?"

"Yeah, I do. I'm just being difficult."

"It's OK. I understand emotions taking over and not making sense."

Keesha smiled in spite of herself. "You know you owe me a cross country trip someday, right?"

"Of course."

"Excellent. Good luck with Wanda. Give her my love, but don't call it that in case she freaks out."

"Will do, and I'll keep you posted along the trip."

"You damn well better."

"By the way, is this a bad time to say I'm going to be living with Ralphie until I find my own place?"

"WHAT!?"

* * *

Of all the things to be anxious about, it was her wardrobe that most perplexed Phoebe on her scheduled first day as Associate Director of the Walkerville Animal Shelter. She wanted to project a professional image, but it was an animal shelter. Pantsuits didn't really fit. With time running out (to be a half hour early, there was no way Phoebe was going to risk being late), she finally decided on a blouse and dress slacks. It was only at that moment she realized that was almost her entire dressy wardrobe, and thus it was almost certain to be the selection.

Phoebe spent the short drive to the shelter focusing on keeping her anxiety from taking complete control. _You can do this, you can do this_ was the mantra. At exactly 7:38 AM, 22 minutes early, Phoebe took a deep breath and went inside to start work. The first to see her was Ms. Baker, still manning the front desk after all these years. Phoebe put up her biggest, warmest smile. "Good morning, Ms. Baker!"

Ms. Baker returned the smile with a somewhat subdued one of her own. "Morning Phoebe. It's amazing to see you all grown up."

"Um, thanks," replied a confused Phoebe.

Ms. Baker continued. "I was surprised when you were announced as the new Associate Director, but well, here you are. I guess it's real."

That just made Phoebe even more confused. She forced a neutral expression to her face. "Well, it is quite real, Ms. Baker. Now if you would excuse me, I have a meeting with Mrs. Hopkins in a few minutes." Without waiting for a response, Phoebe headed into the offices. She couldn't help but grin with pride when she saw the nameplate on the tiny office next to Mrs. Hopkins's: PHOEBE TERESE, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Phoebe knocked on her boss's door.

"Come in! Oh, hello Phoebe! Welcome to your first day! Please sit down" Elegant as always, Mrs. Hopkins seemed to have an extra bounce in her step than when Phoebe last saw her.

"Hi, Mrs. Hopkins and thank you again for this opportunity. I can't wait to get started."

"Neither can I." The Director grabbed a few files out of her cabinet. "Here are our operating numbers: the budget, our available kennel space, adoption rates, payroll, volunteer list, the whole works. The sooner you know these numbers like the back of your hand the better. These are copies so go ahead and take them, and there are of course electronic records. Basically, you are my apprentice. Little by little I'm going to give you control of the reins. It's going to be a lot of work, but from what I've been told, hard work is not an issue for you."

Phoebe shook her head. "No ma'am, it's not."

Mrs. Hopkins laughed. "Please Phoebe, we've known each other for twenty years. You're an adult, and you know I'm not that formal. Call me Julia."

"Yes ma...Julia."

"Now in addition to getting ready to run the day-to-day operations, I'll be putting you on some longer term projects. Once you take over for me, you'll have your own associate director to run some of these, but I am, and eventually you will, be where the buck stops." Mrs. Hopkins handed Phoebe more files. "This project is our next biannual fundraiser. As you know, it's all hands on deck, and I expect you to come up with an idea and lead the project. I have full confidence in you. Any questions?"

"Yes. I saw Ms. Baker this morning, and something seemed off. Is there an issue I need to know about?"

Mrs. Hopkins frowned. "A lot of our employees and volunteers have been here for a long time. They remember you as an overeager little girl, and that perception won't shake overnight. I've done my best to inform them of your credentials, but in the end, it's going to be up to you to win them over."

Phoebe pursed her lips in determination. "Not a problem. It's not the first time someone has underestimated me."

Mrs. Hopkins's frown turned back into a smile. "Excellent! Again, I have full confidence in you and your abilities. Any more questions?"

"One more…"

"Yes, you will have time to see the animals. You can't get attached though. That is non-negotiable."

"Understood."

"I hope so, because this is the one aspect of this job that I do remember your younger self."

"That was true of me as a kid. I've seen a lot of things since then. Social work will toughen up your skin," Phoebe responded with a hint of sadness.

Mrs. Hopkins touched Phoebe's hand. "Of course. If it helps, that's a lecture I give all my employees and the adult volunteers. We all have big hearts, but we can't let that take over while we have a job to do."

"You don't tell the kid volunteers that? I don't remember hearing it."

"Would you have listened to me if I had?"

Phoebe could only shake her head, thus conceding her boss was right. Mrs. Hopkins withdrew her hand and declared, "OK, let's get to work."

* * *

Phoebe would never know why she chose this exact moment, but something inside her made her blurt it out. "I'm bisexual!"

Keesha, Wanda, Dorothy Ann, Jacqueline, and the bridal shop worker all stared at Phoebe and her rapidly reddening cheeks.

Keesha spoke first after letting out the most frustrated sigh of her life. "Pheebs, I know this was something you were struggling with, but you decided to tell us now? Right now?"

"Seriously Pheebs," Wanda interjected. "You told me about this on our road trip, but even I know there's a time and place for this stuff."

"Hey, how come I didn't know about any of this?" asked DA. Jacqueline and the bridal shop worker just looked at each other in abject confusion.

"Um…uh…um…" Phoebe stammered. "It slipped out."

Wanda was about to say something before Keesha stopped her. "No jokes from your smart ass mouth right now!" Keesha walked towards her still red faced best friend and put her hands on her shoulders. "We'll talk about this later. For now though, let me be clear I will always love and support you and who you are, and I know these two jokers do as well."

"Of course. There are so many other reasons to make fun of Beanpole," Wanda interjected.

"Yes, of course," DA added with a hint of trepidation.

Phoebe sheepishly smiled. "Thanks guys." She quickly snapped back into Maid of Honor mode. "And Keesh, that dress looks amazing on you!"

Keesha looked down, remembering they were all there to give her feedback on a potential wedding dress. It was the last major piece of the wedding puzzle, and getting the whole group together was a chore in and of itself. Even with everyone who was there, the group wasn't complete, as it was missing Julie. There wasn't much time, especially after Phoebe's outburst.

"Thanks Pheebs."

"Eh, it makes you look like you have a much bigger chest than you can pull off," shot Wanda.

"That's the type of tact we expect from you, Wanda," replied DA sarcastically.

"Look at it, DA. Your big tits could fill that dress, but Keesha isn't nearly busty enough for it."

"Wanda, be nice!" Phoebe pleaded. Jacqueline and the bridal shop worker continued to look at each other uncomfortably.

"Well, luckily there are other dresses to try on," Keesha said through clenched teeth, glaring at Wanda all the while.

The next dress however also merited a comment from the one woman peanut gallery. "That one makes your butt look big."

"Unfortunately, I agree with Wanda on this one," DA added. Keesha looked at the rest of the party. Phoebe blushed and looked away. Jacqueline just stared at the four longtime friends in amazement.

Keesha sighed. "Fine. We'll go to the next one." She tried to keep the edge out of her voice. Minutes later, she emerged in a simple, form fitting white gown.

"It's perfect," Phoebe practically squealed.

"You look great, Keesha," Jacqueline added, finally finding a point to jump in.

"Yes, I concur," said DA. Truly, she thought Keesha looked great in all the dresses, but this wasn't really her thing.

"Hmmm…" Wanda rubbed her chin theatrically. "Yeah, that's a good one."

"Thanks everyone. I guess we have a winner." Keesha looked at herself in the mirror and breathed a sigh of relief. She did look amazing, and having a consensus of the most important people in her life (non-fiancée division) just sealed the deal.

"Awesome!" Wanda yelled to the consternation of the others in the bridal shop. "Now to more important things. What's the bachelorette party looking like?" She glared at Phoebe as she said it, causing the auburn haired woman to blush and to try and be as small as possible.

"Um…uh…I'm still trying to figure that out," stammered an embarrassed Phoebe.

"Pheebs, you're bi, not gay. Male strippers. Done. Don't make it harder than it needs to be," Wanda retorted in a tone that screamed _Duh_.

"Jesus, Wanda, we're almost 30. It's time to class things up," DA argued.

"No, it means we have to party now, especially since the rest of us don't have men in their lives," Wanda retorted. "Or women," she added, looking at Phoebe.

"Wanda, can you please shut up about Phoebe's bisexuality! I thought you hated talking about Phoebe's love life," a visibly uncomfortable DA pleaded.

"Hey, I'm just being inclusive. It's not like I want details." Wanda turned to Phoebe. "Not because I have a problem with it, but because I never want to imagine your bony ass getting it on."

"Thanks Wanda," Phoebe paused. "I think."

Keesha groaned. "Will you all shut up? The bachelorette party will not have strippers because I do not want strippers. It's going to be something fun but not crazy because I have to get fucking married the next day. I trust Phoebe to come up with something great, no matter what her sexual orientation is. This dress is amazing and I'll take it. There, I think I covered everything."

If Keesha thought that would settle things, she was sorely mistaken. Wanda wasted no time in lobbying for strippers again, which only got the others wound back up. As the arguing continued, Jacqueline pulled out her phone and dialed. "Mom, why didn't you warn me Keesha's friends were insane?"

* * *

Keesha carefully exited her car. She had forgotten how long the drive from DC to Central Ohio was, and wanted to be careful with her stiff muscles. _God, we're getting old_, she thought. Upon closing the car door, she took a long look at Phoebe's house. It was far from big, but even from the outside, it looked warm, cozy, and inviting. Phoebe had only been living there two months, but it was subtly clear that she had been working on putting her personal touch on it. Keesha couldn't wait to see inside.

She was about to head to the front door when she saw Phoebe beckoning her from the other side of the backyard gate. Phoebe let Keesha in and the two moved to embrace, only to be nearly knocked down by Phoebe's two golden retrievers.

"Valerie! Charlie! Sit!" Phoebe commanded her dogs. Keesha just watched, so happy for Phoebe. It was modest, but having her own house and two dogs? It was all Phoebe ever really wanted for herself, and it filled Keesha's heart with joy to see that dream come true for her.

Just as the dogs got under control, a little girl with a bow in her brunette hair came over to the two women. It was then Keesha noticed the small swing set in the backyard, which jogged her memory that Phoebe told her she had joined the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program.

"Keesha, meet my Little Sister, Samantha," Phoebe said with pride. "Samantha, this is my best friend, Keesha."

Keesha gave the little girl her most toothful grin and stuck her hand out. "Pleased to meet you."

"You too," Samantha replied with a shy smile of her own. "Phoebe's the best! She took me to the park and for ice cream, and to see all the animals at the shelter!"

Keesha laughed. "You've had quite the busy day, and you're right, Phoebe is the best."

Phoebe for her part blushed before turning to Samantha. "Can you play with the dogs for a little bit while I talk to Keesha? Just for a few minutes, then I'll take you home."

The little girl nodded and happily skipped around the backyard with the dogs. Once Samantha was out of earshot, Phoebe whispered to Keesha, "Her parents were hit by a drunk driver last year. Her mom died and her dad was paralyzed."

Keesha nodded. "I can see why they paired her with you then," she whispered back.

With that, the two caught up on each other's lives, occasionally interrupted by one of the dogs or Samantha wanting attention.

"So, what's left to plan with the wedding?" Phoebe asked excitedly. It was late April. The wedding was three months away.

"Not a whole lot. Venue, dress, invitations, caterer, the seating arraignments, all done. It's all the little sh- stuff now," Keesha replied. She pulled out her wedding planning book. "I didn't want this visit to be all business, but can we go over some things later?" There was some trepidation in Keesha's voice during her request. If there was one thing she wanted to avoid, it was being a Bridezilla.

"Of course Keesh."

"Thanks Pheebs. I hope I'm not being too demanding of you."

"Oh, absolutely not! If you were, I would've said something."

Keesha nodded. "Good." A few years ago, Keesha wouldn't have believed that, but now she knew Phoebe was capable of standing up for herself. The dark haired woman shifted to a playful grin. "So Pheebs, any dating prospects?"

"Keesh!" Phoebe yelled in embarrassment, drawing a look from Samantha. "Everything's fine, dear." Phoebe grabbed a ball that was lying at her feet. "Here, play fetch with the dogs. That's Charlie's favorite." She threw it towards the little girl.

Phoebe continued, her voice lower this time. "Not right now. I've been super busy at the shelter and with Samantha and occasionally volunteering at the soup kitchen. Also well, it's slim pickings in Walkerville."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just," Phoebe sighed. "The men around here aren't really my type. They're…brutish."

"Ah, nobody sensitive enough for you," Keesha reasoned, harking back to the only two steady boyfriends she's known Phoebe to have.

"That's the simple way of putting it, yes."

"Any women?"

"Yeah, I've been on a few dates, mostly women who live in Columbus. It was fun, but now that I've completed adopting the dogs, I don't have as much of a reason to go there. I'm so busy here I don't have the time anyway." Her face stiffened. "Don't take that as being unhappy. I'm still pinching myself here. I have a house, and dogs, and help save animals and mentor Samantha. I get to save some money for once, and even help my dad a little. Partner or no partner, it's everything I've ever wanted. Hopefully someday I'll find someone that makes me feel like glitter is exploding inside me, but I'm good for now."

"I wouldn't dare Pheebs. I'm so glad to see you with all this. I know of no one who deserves it more." Keesha's eyes suddenly snapped in realization. "Wait, you didn't adopt the dogs from here?"

Phoebe shook her head. "Mrs. Hopkins has a rule against employees adopting from the shelter, a rule I agree with actually." Keesha nodded as Phoebe continued. "It's amazing. She has me thinking like a boss."

"When is Mrs. Hopkins scheduled to retire?"

"Eighteen months. Don't remind me." Phoebe sighed, old nerves flaring up. "How's your job going?"

About a year ago, Keesha moved on from _Scientific American _to a newer venture that attempted to "explain" the news. She was still mostly reporting on science related topics, which she much preferred over the political writing that dominated DC.

"Good. The company keeps getting new funding and growing. It's weird to sort of have job security in DC without being a political stenographer." Keesha shuddered. "Although, I did interview a Congressman about environmental policy a few weeks ago. Boy was that depressing."

Phoebe nodded. "I know. I read all your articles. I even figured out how RSS feeds work so I wouldn't miss one."

Keesha smiled. "What did I ever do to get such a supportive friend?"

"You were yourself right when I needed you to be."

"So," Keesha began. "We might have finally figured out this adult thing."

"We may have," Phoebe agreed. She looked at her watch. "Oh, I better take Samantha home. Samantha!"

The little girl came back over. "Is it time to go?"

Phoebe leaned down to get closer to eye level. "Yeah. Your father expects you home for dinner soon. Did you have a good time?"

Samantha grinned and nodded vigorously. "The best time! I like your friend."

"Yeah, she's pretty great," replied Phoebe as Keesha beamed. "Do you want to help me feed Sadie before we go?"

"Yeah!" Samantha skipped happily into the house.

Thirty minutes later, after dropping Samantha off, the two women headed back in Phoebe's car.

"I know you haven't been in town for a while, so is there anywhere you want to go?" Phoebe asked.

Keesha sighed. "Actually, I'd like to visit my grandmother."

From across the front seat, Phoebe patted Keesha's arm. "Of course. When we get there, let me know if you need some time alone with her."

"Thanks Pheebs," said Keesha as they drove away.

* * *

The wedding was in two days, and to everyone's surprise, Keesha at least appeared outwardly calm. The openly nervous one was actually Phoebe. The auburn haired woman figured there were three major duties as Maid of Honor. The first was providing emotional support, which Phoebe knew she could do in her sleep. The last was the speech at the reception, which, well, she would deal with when the time came. It was time for the second duty: the bachelorette party. It had been giving Phoebe consternation from the start. She couldn't decide what would make Keesha happy while satisfying Wanda, DA, Casey's sister, and Julie (who couldn't be at the dress fitting).

Making it easier was that Keesha vetoed anything too debaucherous, to the objection of no one save Wanda. It also had to be within 48 hours of the main event as that was the only time the whole bridal party would be in one place. That meant it would need to be in Walkerville, again to Wanda's consternation ("I need to get out of this one horse town!"). In the end, Phoebe decided to combine everyone getting their nails done for the wedding with a night out at a bar. This was fine for everyone except Phoebe actually, since she rarely if ever drank and couldn't remember the last time she had her nails done. Oh well, this party was supposed to be fun for Keesha and the bridesmaids, and not necessarily the Maid of Honor, right?

The nail salon passed without major incident other than Phoebe looking visibly uncomfortable with the pampering and making sure no one (and by "no one," that of course meant Wanda) did anything crazy. The rest of the party was having a grand old time comparing manicures and pedicures.

From there, it was on to the local watering hole, the closest thing Walkerville had to a cool bar that was priced high enough to keep college kids out but low enough to not be pretentious. Phoebe had Ralphie on retainer to get everyone that couldn't fit into her car home that night. The rest was up to the each person's party willingness and alcohol tolerance.

The group had been in the bar about a half hour when Wanda blurted out, "Does anyone know why the rest of us don't have men?"

"I have a husband and two kids," Jacqueline replied dryly.

"Sorry, I don't really know you," Wanda retorted. "I was talking about us." She gestured to DA, Phoebe, and herself.

Phoebe blushed and mouthed _I'm sorry_ to Jacqueline. "Well Wanda, you just got out of fighting wars. That wasn't conducive to finding a partner…"

"Pheebs, get more drunk and stop using big words," Wanda interrupted. "God, you're such a square."

"Alright enough!" Keesha slammed the table in frustration. "Wanda, don't be annoying or I will have you cut off."

Wanda put up her arms in defense. "Fine, sorry. I'm just a little jealous, OK."

Keesha's face softened. "Don't be. I just got very lucky very quickly. I'm sure you will all find someone."

"Really?" a skeptical Wanda asked.

"As sure as I'm sure of anything," Keesha replied. "Besides, I want to see the rest of you try and handle planning a wedding as well as me."

"Ah, there's the super confident Keesha we know and love," Julie piped up, taking a generous swig of her wine. She kept her glass off the table. "To Keesha!"

_Hear hear!_ The group toasted the bride-to-be, and any consternation was forgotten. The commotion alerted other bar patrons to the group. Wanda wasted no time in telling people it was a bachelorette party, and next thing they knew they were being showered with free drinks.

"Be careful everybody! Please!" Phoebe pleaded.

DA just laughed. "Pheebs, this is the longest I've been away from the hospital in forever." She stopped talking to down an offered shot. "I'm going to enjoy this."

"We have all day tomorrow to recover," Julie added, downing a shot of her own. "You planned it that way, remember."

Phoebe sighed. "Yeah, I know, but still."

Jacqueline patted her hand. "We will. We're not that young anymore." With that, most of the group went off towards the pool tables, where Wanda was attempting to hustle people.

Keesha had yet to move, however, despite being pulled in every direction. She took a good look at Phoebe. "I'm not going to be able to get you to relax and not worry about everyone, am I?"

Phoebe could only shake her head.

"Well, at least know you've done an amazing job at all this. I couldn't have asked for anything better."

Phoebe blushed. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Keesha stood up. "Let's hear it for the Maid of Honor!" she yelled. The bar responded in kind, causing Phoebe to blush harder and sink into the table.

"OK Pheebs, I'm done embarrassing you." Keesha got up onto the table. "Alright where are my free drinks! I'm getting married bitches!"

Phoebe couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle.

* * *

All throughout the wedding preparation, Keesha wondered when the nerves would come. All while Casey and she picked out a venue and flowers and a cake and a caterer and everything in between, Keesha's overriding thought was _We got this_. On this, July 21st 2015, her wedding day, however, all Keesha could think was _I don't know if we got this_.

It was a testament either to Keesha's ability to look calm and collected at all times, or her friends and family's obliviousness, that no one appeared to notice her internal freak out. Well, almost no one.

Keesha's heart skipped a beat once she felt the hand on her shoulder. She looked up to find a horrified Phoebe. "Keesh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!"

"Oh Pheebs, it's OK. What's up?"

"That's the thing. Are you alright?"

"Um, yeah, I was just…"

"Don't lie Keesh. I can see the creases in your forehead you get when you're stressing out."

"God, we know way too much about each other." Keesha sighed. "I'm nervous, that's all."

"Of course you're nervous!" Phoebe wrapped her arms around Keesha, careful not to mess with the dress. "You wouldn't be human if you weren't. Casey's nervous too. It's still going to be amazing."

"I hope so, but what if something goes wrong?"

"Oh don't worry, something will."

"Excuse me," Keesha gave Phoebe a cross look, but the auburn haired Maid of Honor only smiled back.

"Keesh, I've been to many large gatherings. I've even helped run a few. Something always goes wrong. It's inevitable. Don't worry about it. Your bridesmaids and Casey's groomsmen have your back. We'll worry about the screw ups. You just concentrate on walking down that aisle and marrying the love of your life."

Now it was Keesha's turn to hug Phoebe. "Thanks. You're the best." She looked around. "Where are the rest of the bridesmaids?"

"I don't know," came the reply from Phoebe. She took a step towards the door, but Keesha stopped her.

"I'll go look for them. I need something to keep my mind occupied."

"Just make sure not to go where Casey is!" Phoebe cautioned.

Keesha nodded affirmatively. The groom and his groomsmen were in the church basement. Keesha took up her search on the ground floor. She eventually found her bridesmaids, as well as the men in the gang, huddled together in a side room near the altar.

"What the hell is going on?" the irritated bride-to-be asked.

For a moment, the six plus Julie and Casey's sister looked at each other awkwardly. Finally, Ralphie sighed and decided to come clean. "We're putting together a betting pool."

"What?" Keesha yelled incredulously. "Betting on what?"

"How long it takes Phoebe to cry at the ceremony," answered a nonchalant Wanda.

"Seriously?! How exploitative! Phoebe is your friend, and you're going to spend the most important moment of my wedding making fun of her?"

"Chill Keesh," said Carlos. "It's just a little sweetener. We're going to be looking at you plenty, we promise." The other eight in the room all nodded. Keesha's expression softened until Carlos added, "Well maybe not Tim, he's timekeeper."

_CARLOS!_

Keesha sighed. "Whatever. It's not worth trying to stop you." She thought a moment. "When does the time start?"

"Once 'Here Comes the Bride' starts playing," replied Tim.

"Put me down for four seconds," stated Keesha.

"But I have four seconds," argued DA.

Keesha glared at her. "It's my wedding. Give me four seconds." DA could only nod.

"That'll be 10 bucks please," Tim said as he wrote down the guess.

"Again, it's _my_ wedding, which means I get a free entry into your damn betting pool that makes fun of my Maid of Honor, who is the only one who has been paying attention to me, that I should stop you from doing but aren't because I'm just that nice a person even as inside I'm stressing out like crazy." Keesha's death glared moved to Tim, who could only gulp and respond, "Yes Keesh. I'll cover it."

"You're damn right you will." Keesha clapped her hands and pointed at DA, Wanda, Julie, and Jacqueline. "You all, get up and be bridesmaids again."

"Need to us to help fix the makeup Phoebe screwed up?" Wanda asked.

"No, my makeup is fine."

However, once the five returned to the bride's room, Keesha immediately said, "OK ladies, can you help me touch this up."

Wanda and DA looked at each other but didn't say anything. Phoebe frowned, "Did I do something wrong with the makeup?"

"No Pheebs," Keesha stopped. "OK, a little, but that's on Wanda and DA for wandering off on the job."

"Hey, don't blame Phoebe's incompetence on us," Wanda shot back.

"No, she's right," DA conceded, noting Keesha's look that clearly stated _Do not dare mention the betting pool._ "Sorry Keesh."

"Where were you guys at anyway?" Phoebe asked.

"DA had a tampon emergency," Wanda quipped before the others could come up with a lie of their own.

"OK stop. Say no more," replied Phoebe. _Good one, if gross,_ Keesha thought. DA for her part scowled at Wanda once Phoebe was out of range.

Things proceeded as normal until it was time for the ceremony to begin. Keesha and her bridesmaids headed towards the opening in the back of the church, less than one hundred feet from the altar. Keesha was met by her father, and she watched one by one as first her fiancée's sister, then her best college friend, and finally her three best friends in the world walk down the aisle, accompanied by the groomsmen. Before it was her turn, Phoebe turned to Keesha and the two shared a wordless moment. Phoebe took the arm of Casey's brother George, the best man, and walked towards the front. Keesha took that moment to finally lock eyes with Casey, and they exchanged nervous smiles. He looked resplendent in his tuxedo, expression a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Keesha suspected she looked the same underneath her veil.

Finally, "Here Comes The Bride" began to play. Keesha took her father's arm and slowly walked down the aisle towards her soon-to-be husband and the rest of her life. She noticed Phoebe begin to noticeably cry. _Was that four seconds? Wait, concentrate Keesh! Jeez! _She forced herself to focus on each step and Casey, and at that moment, a wave of calm and serenity washed over her. This was it, the moment she had waited for. She reached the altar, let go of her father, gave her bouquet to the mess that was Phoebe, and grabbed Casey's hand. The two of them faced the priest, who began the basic wedding spiel.

Something inside Keesha tensed up at the "if anyone should object" portion. She knew she couldn't 100% count out Carlos or Wanda saying something as a joke. Luckily her probably baseless fear was unwarranted, and the moment passed without incident. Then came the main event.

"Keesha Marie Franklin, do you take Casey Joseph Adams as your lawfully wedded husband?" the priest asked.

"I do," said Keesha, looking at Casey as if he were the only other human being in the world. "I love and I like you." The last part was added by the couple to give their own personal touch to the vows.

"Casey Joseph Adams, do you take Keesha Marie Franklin as your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do. I love you and I like you."

Moments later, the rings were put on, and by the state of Ohio, Keesha was a married woman. She could barely feel her legs from the euphoria she felt as she and her new husband walked out of the church together.

* * *

The reception was well underway, but it had been anything but relaxing for the couple. From walking out of the church, it was straight to the limo with the bridal party, then it was off for pictures (they never figured out why pictures after the ceremony were needed when they took a bunch before). After that, it was off to the reception, but first they had to hide out with the hungry and slightly drunk bridal party, waiting to make the perfect fashionably late entrance. By the time everyone figured out the order they would walk out into the reception ("It's the same order you walked to the alter, you dolts!"), Keesha was just ready to get the whole thing over with.

Things finally got settled, and the bridal party came out one by one. Finally, she heard "And now the couple you've been waiting for! Mr. Casey Adams and Mrs. Keesha Franklin-Adams!" At that moment, Keesha's irritation melted away. Beaming with pride (and happy the announcer actually got her request for her last name right), she walked out with her new husband to a standing ovation.

An hour or so later, all the other pomp and circumstance was over with. Mr. Franklin gave a speech and danced with his daughter. Casey then danced with his mother. The formality dropped and food was served. There were only a few major traditions left, and the next one in line was causing consternation on the person seated to Keesha's right.

"Pheebs, you're gonna do great. Relax. You've crushed this Maid of Honor thing this whole time. This will be no different."

Phoebe sighed. "Thanks Keesh, but the rest of it didn't involve public speaking."

"You've done it plenty of times before I would think."

"Yes, but not with this much at stake."

Keesha gave her a sympathetic smile. "Will it help to know half the party is drunk as hell and won't remember any of it tomorrow? It'll be like you're just talking to Casey and me."

Phoebe smiled back. "Actually, it does."

Shortly after that, glasses clinked from the head table. First the best man, George gave the best man's toast, which mercifully stayed PG for the most part. As George finished and received his applause, Phoebe stood up and gathered her composure as quickly as she could. She glanced one last time at the happy couple, took a deep breath, and spoke.

"Keesha and I have been best friends since we were in third grade. I will never forget my first day at a new school, and the kindness from the cool, self-assured girl who first welcomed me. That school year remains the best thing that ever happened to me, in part because I found seven new lifelong friends, but especially because I found Keesha. Ever since, Keesha and I have been through everything together. We grew up together. Every scary new change as we got older was a little less scary because we had each other. We were so inseparable our other friends called us twins. Keesha has always supported me, even when at the same time she was telling me I was nuts. I'd like to think I've always supported her too, especially when I introduced her to a certain star football player. Keesha, I love you and thank you for being my best friend and the sister I never had. I will always be grateful."

Phoebe finally took a moment to look at Keesha, who was beaming and barely holding it together. Some took that as the end of the speech, but Phoebe put a hand up to indicate otherwise. She gave the bride a smile before continuing. "Today, however, I cede the title of Keesha's best friend, and that's OK. Casey, that's your job now, and I know you're going to be amazing at it. Watching you both fall in love has filled me, and everyone else here, with so much happiness. You make each other better. I love you both and hope that every day you love each other a little bit more. Thank you."

This time Phoebe was definitely done. The rest of the room erupted in applause, but she didn't notice. All she saw was a tearful Keesha stand up and embrace her. When Keesha finally let go, Casey stood up to hug Phoebe as well.

Keesha and Phoebe allowed themselves one last long look at each other before the party continued and sent them back in multiple directions.

* * *

Phoebe breathed a deep sigh of relief upon finding the balcony deserted. She was having a blast at the reception, but for the moment she had her fill of socializing. Who would have thought being Maid of Honor would be so exhausting _after_ the ceremony? She sat down on a lawn chair and silently watched the night sky. She was content to retreat into her own world when she heard "There you are!"

Phoebe turned around to see Keesha standing in the doorway. "May I join you?" the bride asked.

"Of course," the Maid of Honor replied.

Keesha took a seat in the other chair. "I've been looking all over for you. I should've realized you'd go somewhere quiet."

"You were looking for me? Aren't you busy enough right now?"

"Pheebs, don't be like that. Casey and I are going to be leaving soon, and I wanted to make sure I saw you before that."

Phoebe smiled. "Thanks Keesh."

"No, thank you. For everything. I couldn't have asked for a better Maid of Honor." Keesha let out a smile of her own. "Everyone loved your speech. My co-workers can't stop tweeting about it."

That admission turned Phoebe's cheeks red. "Are all DC journalists addicted to Twitter?"

"Yes. However, there was one thing you were wrong about."

Phoebe's face turned even redder. "What?"

Keesha grabbed Phoebe's hand. "I love Casey, but he's not my best friend. You are, and you always will be."

"But…"

"But nothing. There will always be things I can only talk about with you. Most of them will involve when he forgets I run the house." Both women laughed. "Seriously though, like you said, we've been through everything together. There's no way I would ever want that to change."

For the uncountable time today, Phoebe had tears in her eyes. Keesha surprisingly found herself teary as well.

"I love you, Phoebe."

"I love you too, Keesha."

The two stood up and gave each other a long hug. When they broke away, Keesha said, "I'm going to go find Casey and slink away. In the meantime, I don't know if you noticed, but his brother has been making eyes at you all night. If you don't promise to go talk to him, I'll get Wanda to run interference for you."

Phoebe's eyes widened. "No, um, I'll take care of it myself."

"Good"

Phoebe suddenly beamed. "If it works out, then we'd really be sisters!"

"You're getting way ahead of yourself," Keesha suddenly stopped being practical and gave her best friend a wide smile of her own. "I'd like that."

* * *

**A/N**: For how the reunion went, read _Twenty Years On_. There is the impetus on Phoebe's offer at the animal shelter. Overall, it feels a little weird this chapter is so Phoebe-centric when it's Keesha getting married, but marriage is not something I'm an expert in.

I really hope the Phoebe bisexual plotline wasn't a complete surprise and wasn't insulting. Please let me know otherwise.

Why nothing on the Phoebe/Wanda cross country road trip? I may eventually write a fic about it.

_Hopefully someday I'll find someone that makes me feel like glitter is exploding inside me. _During the writing of this fic, I caught up and became a huge fan of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and thus I need at least one reference to it.

The bachelorette party was the main thing it took so long to complete this chapter. I did my best, but I suspect it's a let down. Sorry.

Once again, thanks for reading!


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